The lines are being drawn in the Republican Party...

[kentuck]

Either you get behind this port sale or else? Look at Frist. Has someone had a serious discussion with him? "Look here Fristy...either you get behind this deal or we let the dogs loose on this investigation on your stock sales...do you understand?"

The Democrats should not let this Administration "spin" this as "racism" or some other crap other than a possible "national security risk". That is what Democrats need to keep saying and let the Repubs stand where they want to stand. This is not about politics. The issue is about "national security". Can the people trust the Republicans to protect this country?? That is the question Democrats must continue to ask - without getting caught up with what the Repubs say or do. They can only speak for themselves.

[havocmom]

1. Hundred million dollar donations can be funneled a lot of ways

Bet the line stretchs around the block... where the White House sits.

[HereSince1628]

2. Yes, but the "Or Else" is weaker now that the K-street funded payola

system is in tatters and what remains may be radioactive.

Without the threat of pulling many many thousands to campaign coffers it's damned tough to herd the elephants.

[blm]

3. Dems HAVE been speaking about the ports and national security for 5yrs now

and media ignores them NO MATTER WHAT - even when they bring it up in a presidential debate. Media WON"T DISCUSS any issue that shows Bush as incompetent, so they spin ANY SERIOUS ISSUE into "Dems will say anything to get elected" and leave it at that.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Frankly, I find it offensive that this administration is accusing

those opposed to this sale as racist. It's their same old song and dance of attacking those who disagree with them instead of focusing on the issue at hand. I don't think they are having that much luck at framing this issue, however. There are some who will succumb to the pressure that they are applying, but the pressure from their constituents is going to be taken very seriously by those in Congress who are facing elections this year.

[kentuck]

7. I hope you are correct Granny...

They think they can spin any story, given enough time. By election, they will find a way, with the help of their friends in the corporate media, to put all this behind them. That is what many of them think, in my opinion.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. They have definitely had the help of the corporate media for

a long time now, but I'm hearing a little opposition in the ranks lately. I hope it's not just my imagination, but it seems that even the media is becoming more critical of the administration than it has been in the past.

[cal04]

5. The dems need to repeat what Dobbs said when King

said this shouldn't be a political issue. Dobbs said your party has made the war on terror and national security a political issue. Don't let the republicans spin this as being a political issue either. This is security plain and simple

[kentuck]

8. Bingo !

Democrats should heed this advice. It's about "national security" - it's not about politics or racism.

[Mist]

13. Exactly--this point should be repeated endlessly:

[leveymg]

11. It's also about the selling off of American assets, and the decline of

Empire. These are subjects that neither party is prepared to discuss constructively.

National security is a code-word that refers to a larger truth about America under Bush and the GOP. Elected officials are quite happy to go along with dismantlement of the country, the squandering of the Treasury, so long as that money moves upward. That's the supply-side orthodoxy that's still at work today.

They'll loot the country down to the carcass, and then burn or abandon what remains.

[cal04]

14. transcript of Dobbs and King

Do you and other Republicans want to go into the November elections having approved a deal in which a foreign government is owned -- a company is taking ownership of operating contracts at terminals in six of our major ports?

KING: Lou, I don't want to sound holier than thou. I am really not thinking of the elections. I have lost too many friends and neighbors and constituents on September 11 even to be thinking about the elections.

Having said that, it certainly to me is not going to help us politically, and it shouldn't, because, you know, we have said we are the party of homeland security. We are the ones who can wage this war against terrorism. And certainly, unless there's an absolutely clean bill of health, which I think is going to be hard to find, to me, it's going to be hard to justify this contract. But I don't want to prejudge it.

DOBBS: But it's Karl Rove and this White House that's made it clear that the war on terror will be the focal point of the Republican Party as it seeks to retain its leadership in the House and the Senate. I'm not injecting politics. Karl Rove, this White House is.

Do you want to go into this election in November having decided to turn over critical infrastructure assets to a company owned by a foreign government?

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0602/24/ldt.01.html

[liberal N proud]

6. I smell KKKarl Rove!

You know the KKKarl has something to do with these flip flopping repukes.

And to think they all called Kerry a flip flopper.

[peacebird]

10. it's only flip-flopping when you are against the official party line

when you switch to the party line, it's called being smart and loyal....



KKKarl says so.

[liberal N proud]

12. Only if we allow them to spin it that way

A flip flop smells like a flip flop no matter how you decorate it.

[ThoughtCriminal]

15. Easy to pull Frist's Strings

He's looking at some serious criminal charges. Even if Bush doesn't take steps to mess up the investigation (which they have done before), he can always promise a lame-duck pardon - If Frist plays ball.