Day: February 23, 2006

Pentagon Chief Says If You Speak Out About the Port Deal, You’re Threatening National Security

Trish

I’ve heard it all now. CNN:

…the second in command at the Pentagon…said Thursday that people who publicly oppose allowing a Middle Eastern company to take over management of some U.S. ports could be threatening national security.

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told the Senate Armed Services Committee that blocking the deal could ostracize one of the United States’ few Arab allies.

“The terrorists want our nation to become distrustful,” England said. “They want us to become paranoid and isolationist, and my view is we cannot allow this to happen. It needs to be just the opposite.”

Because, you know, our government has been so open and fearless up to now. Their willingness to say absolutely anything — no matter how convoluted and incredible — just to get their own bread buttered, is stunning.

GOP Says Bush Critics Hate America – Look Who’s Hating America Now

Jon Ponder
Why are Republicans so angry? Why do they hate America so much?

Republicans like to call people who criticize the president,”Bush haters.” They’re also fond of saying that hating Mr. Bush is the same as hating America itself.

Lately, as the Bush regime has begun to disintegrate, Republicans are going on the record to criticize their Dear Leader. However, just because Republicans are finally acknowledging that George W. Bush is not infallible, the rules of discourse they set in place must not be allowed to change:

Criticizing Bush = Hating America

Here are a few Republicans who hate America because President Bush has sold our ports to the Emir of Dubai:

  • Michael Brown, former FEMA director: “We ought to get mad at the President… The alarm bells were being sounded on Sunday. Because not only was I having conferences with the President on the telephone, but he was also on the video conference with all of the state emergency managers.”
  • William F. Buckley Jr.: “One can’t doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed… And the administration has, now, to cope with failure.”
  • Tom Delay, indicted former House Majority Leader: “Politically, for the president, it is a huge mistake for him to be defending this decision. The president will be overturned.”
  • Sue Myrick, member of Congress and former Charlotte mayor: In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab Emirates, not just ‘no’ but ‘hell no!’”
  • Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader: “As of today, I’m requesting briefings on this deal. If the Administration does not put the deal on hold, I will introduce legislation doing so … to ensure that this decision gets a more thorough review. Common sense warrants it; our national security requires it.”
  • Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House: “We must not allow the possibility of compromising our national security due to lack of review or oversight by the federal government.”
  • Wayne Allard, senator from Colorado: “My primary concern about this plan is national security. I am asking the president to reconsider this takeover and to put it on hold immediately.”
  • Ileana Ros-Lehtinan: “This is a financial transaction whereby DP World … will have 50 percent of the financial interest of a small operation in the port of Miami. This gets people rolling because of the secrecy involved in this committee, CFIUS. There’s not enough transparency. We don’t know what questions have been asked.”
  • Cal Thomas, rightwing columnist: “There have been some dumb decisions since the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. … But the decision to sell port operations … to a company owned by the UAE may be the dumbest of all. … Apparently money talked more than common sense.”
  • Michelle Malkin: “I stand with critics … who want to stop the secretive deal transferring operations of our ports to the UAE — a Middle Eastern government with a spotty record of fighting terrorist plots and terrorist financing. … From every angle — political, safety, and sovereignty-wise — Dubai Ports World’s business transaction … looks bad and smells worse.”
  • Wes Pruden, editor-in-chief of the rightwing cult-owned Washington Times: “Perhaps, as the president seems to suggest, the Arab chiefs of the United Arab Emirates who are bound to their brothers across Arabia by blood, history and religion will prove as reliable as our own English cousins. But counting on their loyalty and friendship being permanent is a risk too far. That’s what the president’s friends are trying to tell him.”
  • George Pataki, governor of New York and 2008 presidential candidate, was also critical of the deal.
  • Bob Erlich, governor of Maryland, criticized Bush’s decision as well

Last week, Republicans on the House committee that investigated Hurricane Katrina, chaired by Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, were critical of the President’s handling of the disaster.

Last year, the Republican wingnut fringe went ballistic when the president nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court because her idealogical purity was suspect.

Why are Republicans so angry? Why do they hate America so much?

Note: If you come across other instances of Republicans hatin’ on America, please send them to us or leave a comment. (Please include a link back to the source of the quote. )

Poll: Arnold Loses GOP Support, Overall Popularity Down to 35%

Jon Ponder

He Has Less Support Than President Bush at 36%

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s abrupt left turn this year has cost him support among California Republicans, while doing little to gain traction with the state’s liberal majority, according to a new poll:

Pandering to the left was Maria’s hail-mary pass. It didn’t work. The Terminator is toast.

Schwarzenegger’s approval rating fell to 35 percent among adults in the Public Policy Institute of California poll, down five points from last month…

Schwarzenegger now gets less support from Republicans in California than President Bush, whose approval rating is at a near record low of 36 percent.

Just 66 percent of Republicans said Schwarzenegger was doing a good job, while 74 percent said that of Bush. Last month, 72 percent of Republicans thought Schwarzenegger was doing a good job.

Schwarzenegger’s 35 percent approval rating puts him close to the 33 percent approval rating he had in October, when he was being pummeled by television ads decrying his special election.

Pandering to the left was Maria’s hail-mary pass. It didn’t work. The Terminator is toast.

Governor, please drop out of the race. You can start principal photography on T4 in January. It’s a win-win-win for you and the state and fans of your movies, if you have any left.