Are the port deals just a red herring?

[mac56]

Generally, every time the BFEE does something ominous like this, the comments emerge on DU that say - this one is way too stupid and transparent, Rove would never have approved this, this is just meant to be a distraction from soemthing bigger that's going to come along.

Case in point: Harriet Miers.

So is that truly the case this time around? Are the port deals not meant for real, just as something to get people riled up while they pull their next evil plot?

Comments, please.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. The ports are real and the Cheney shooting is the red herring

[mac56]

3. If that's true, though, it didn't work.

People were still able to get on top of this one.

[slor]

2. Maybe it is to get UAE support for a move...

on Iran. I honestly do not know, but I do know this, it is not just those of us of Liberal mind that are pissed.

[Burning Water]

4. They just did something

stupid. What else do you expect from this crowd??

[central scrutinizer]

5. I don't understand their hubris and instransigence on this one either, but

I don't think it is rovian feint. How many people, chosen at random, would know who Harriet Miers was and what kind of machinations brought her down? It is too complicated to explain easily and we know that the Repugs have been successful because they make their message simple and emotional, like "protect marriage". But here we have something that can easily be turned against them: Ask any rightwinger the following question; "Is it a good idea for a foreign country, and not just any country, but an Arab Islamist country that is clearly linked to 9/11 to have control of the ports of the United States?" When they say, Hell no!!!!, then ask them why their revered president is pushing hard for exactly this.

[shance]

6. If they can get away with this, they've got America trapped in a net

and rendered pretty powerless. Until citizens come together in their communities and rebel against this Administration, their lies and their attacks on America, they will continue to seize more power. Its that simple.

I

[matt819]

7. It's all real

The objective seems to be to inundate the American public with just about every corrupt and inept plan. More than one will pass, but some will fail. The RW gets what it wants most of the time, and the LW thinks it has scored a success or two. It may take a generation or more, but the tide will turn.

As for the ports deal, follow the money, if you can. You can be sure that the leaders of this corrupt regime are lining their pockets with this deal - *, the Dick, Condi, Carlyle, et al. And, you know something? They'll get away with it.

[punpirate]

8. Money makes the Bushes spin...

... and ports are a big business. There's a lot of money to be made on this deal for Bush family Middle East pals. This is not just Poppy's interest--significant numbers of Marvin's investors are wealthy Arabs and, given enough time, we'll find some of Neil's furtive scurrying in the tunnels of Mordor in this deal.

I don't think this is anything but what it is--the Bushes acting as dealmakers for their own interest. The one thing that has distinguished every single one of them is a belief that public service is a means to private gain, preferably their own. I see this as part of the same thinking. If they had nothing to gain from this, they wouldn't be so quick to defend the deal.

Conversely, if they'd been backing another horse, you can bet that they would have found a plausible, but wholly irrelevant, reason to fight the deal.

This is just more of the same.

Cheers.