Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) has a choice. Sen. Frist can either stand with America's interests and allow the U.S. Senate to vote on the Dubai port deal or stand with corporate interests and buy time for a government-owned Dubai company's attempt to run some of our nation's ports.
In an election-year repudiation of President Bush, a House panel dominated by Republicans voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block a Dubai-owned firm from taking control of some U.S port operations.
By 62-2, the Appropriations Committee voted to bar DP World, run by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, from holding leases or contracts at U.S. ports. Bush has promised to veto any such measure passed by Congress, but there is widespread public opposition to the deal and the GOP fears losing its advantage on the issue of national security in this fall's elections.
As the panel acted, Democrats on the other side of the Capitol were clamoring for a vote on the same issue in the GOP-led Senate.
"We believe an overwhelming majority will vote to end the deal," said Democrat Charles Schumer of New York, whose attempt to force the issue to the floor brought the Senate to a late-afternoon standstill.
By its vote, the House committee attached the ports language to a must-pass $91 billion measure financing hurricane recovery and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The full House could consider that measure as early as next week.
[House Committee Votes to Block Ports Deal - Washington Post - 03-08-06]
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Christian Grantham is an internet and television producer living in Murfreesboro, TN. Grantham has produced liberal and conservative talk radio, was a consultant to the Clinton-Gore White House on domestic policy forums and worked as a blogger for a political campaign for state office.
