LOU DOBBS-let us now praise Lou Dobbs for the UAE port story

[underpants]

Dobbs broke this UAE story into the mainstream in the midst of the Cheney face shooting hullabaloo and he has kept on it.

*-See below for my disclaimer-

I have to say that watching the White House squirm and spin itself into the ground has been enjoyable to say the least. To see a story actually picked up and carried by the American news media is so out of the norm (aside from ones that require watching people die on your television screen) that it is actually refreshing. Watching the RW news media trying to actually put out flames on a non-news story (*) such as this is outright hilarious. The MSM is picking up that banner as they always do but it is too late the long explanation is to windy and this issue has already been sold and cemented in the minds of the public.

All brought to you by CNN's Lou Dobbs.

Oh yeah be sure to check out liveoaktx's thread on this GREAT report (W-->Carlyle-->Neil Bush-->Snow not knowing about a $1Billion sale at CSX :eyes: and their UAE connections) from...you guessed it LOU DOBBS yesterday.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=494300&mesg_id=494300

*-disclaimer-
As much as I love watching the politics of all this I still stick by my opinion from two days ago.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=479483

[slor]

1. He will not get my praise for...

doing what he is supposed to do. He likes bush mostly, despite this recent reporting.

[itcfish]

6. Me Neither

On the whole Dobbs is a bigot, spews about Mexicans but says very little about other groups who take jobs away from American Workers.



:evilfrown:

[niallmac]

2. I take what scraps I get from my evil information masters.

This week Lou grants me sanity and reflection about the greedy Bushes and their UAE pals.
Next week he smacks me with a rolled up talking point. What can I do but pee on his slippers?

[calimary]

3. LOL!

Love it! And I share your mixed emotions, fellow pound puppy!

[thecrow]

4. HIs reporting and relentless pursuit of this last night

really made my day. Of course, later, when Wolfie took the stage, he tried to undo everything that Lou had said.

[sadiesworld]

5. If you're going to continue to point to your previous thread...

why not answer some of the concerns raised there?

DUers have posted about numerous problems with the UAE deal but you continue to adhere to a position which you seem unable to support.

[Jacobin]

7. It appears to me to be a bit

unlikely that the long term lessee of a port facility would have no control over security, as the WH is apparently saying. I'm leery of giving up that control to a country such as the UAE, given their track record

The WH is running into a torrent of fear mongering which may or may not be justified under this deal, but the fun part is they are the ones who created this mindset in the American people.

What's interesting is that 'deals and money' always trump security issues, whether real or imagined with this WH...thus the irresponsible and illegal invasion of IraqNam for monetary gain.

[underpants]

8. I have

I wrote that completely on the fly and still see nothing posted there that hasn't been covered. I don't mean to appear to be saying "I am never wrong" I am wrong plenty and will admit it at the drop of a hat.

So let's go down the list

Foreign govt. owned business-well it appears that most of the Dubai business are closely related to the royal family which is the govt. of that city state.

Links to terrorism-2 of the 19 blah blah so what, how many people from Dubai WEREN'T involoved. As far as the funding goes Dubai is a financial center of course some of the money went through them. Hell I heard this morning that alQaeda sites are using PayPal to fund raise. The BCCI thing (not that I really understand it) is not surprising either-THAT appears to have been the bigboys bank.

I have yet to see any real concerns mounted about any company having any real chance to effect security. Are they really that coordinated and long-term focused? Do they really think they could keep it secret for that long?

Is this Bush family cronyism?YEs it most surely is but set the alarm and wake up that goes on all over the place. That doesn't make it right but you have to worry about it where you can effect change otherwise you stretch yourself pretty thin.

Now I read that the board that okayed this is only 4 months old and overseen by Negroponte. We will see how this develops and that does alarm me but it could just be that it is only now set up as it is only now (what took so long?) getting to that at Homeland Security because none of the contracts NEEDED to be reviewed or put back up for bidding until now. Have they okayed any other port deals before this? Is this their first run?

I hope that I am not relying on "Oh that is just how things are done" too much but face it that IS how things are done. Regardless of any of it-and this is what I meant with this thread and the disclaimer was meant to show that I had already stated an opinion on this- I love watchign them twist in the wind like this. I love every aspect of the politics of it but I also see that the actual decision was a non event. You knew that sooner or later they had to get something right.

Okay if you have any other points that you think I need to address let me know. It isn't a perfect deal but there seldom are perfect deals and in the seemingly purposely mobile international shipping business there is lots of murkiness.