Fresh Questions on Dubai Ports Hysteria

I realize most readers have likely had their fill of the Dubai ports story. But as the damage to President Bush's leadership and conservative chances in the critical 2006 elections becomes apparent, it's worth taking a second look.

It's becoming clear that the entire episode was orchestrated by Democrats to weaken the President and the GOP. But there is more to it than that.

Schumer's Ties to Rival Ports Firm?

Chicken Hawk Express has dug deep and learned that a rival firm, Eller & Co. with competing facilities in Miami was instrumental in creating the furor with the help of Senator Chuck Schumer (Defeaticrat-NY). In posts here and here Chicken Hawk Express describes the tactics that Eller and Co. used to gain leverage over Dubai Ports World.

There have even been reports that Eller was hoping to buy DP World's stake in American Ports at firesale prices.

So our Republican friends fell right into the lap of Senator Schumer and his big money friends at Eller & Co. Will the next campaign finance report reveal contributions to Schumer from Eller executives?

As Flopping Aces suggested on February 23, something really "smells" here.

Bacon Bits Chastises GOP

It's clear that Republican squeamishness over the Dubai ports deal has damaged our chances in the all important battle for Congress in 2006. Bacon Bits touches on that subject today citing the concerns of Jack Kemp and another opinion leader that readers may find familiar:

Conservatives should be proactive, rather than reactive. We've got the brains and presumably that means conservative politicians do too, even in an election year. If their GOP constituents were flying off the handle irrationally about DP World in reaction to the liberal hype, said politicians should have worked to educate the body politic and in so doing, expose Democrat demagoguery with simple facts (as one always can), rather than fall prey to the pathetic one-upmanship game. No one wins with that kind of stupid politics as was on display a few weeks ago.

The Bush Administration is guilty as well, for not getting in front of this issue long ago when they had the chance. Just.Dumb.Politics. With potential serious repercussions, as we might find it harder than ever to cultivate, let alone keep, essential Arab alliances in the Middle East against the forces of Islamofascist jihad.

Kemp's column reminds me once again of one of the most important conservative political posts I've read recently. Mike at Mike's America is one of the lone voices in the wilderness, shouting out that we should not foresake the forest for the trees, especially now. Mike covers some valuable history as relates to pre-WW II and segues into the present day in expert fashion. (He's a political operative, after all, and has exceptional vision on these things.)

Aw shucks! It's one thing to have "vision" and quite another to convince others how "exceptional" it is.