Arianna to Dems: Start pummeling, before the GOP beats you to the punch

[kurth]

Cutting to the Heart of Bush's National Security Hypocrisy
By Arianna Huffington

... It's been getting harder and harder to tell the (R)s from the (D)s on a growing number of issues, including Iraq, the drug war, and the fight to cut pork-barrel spending. But the dubious Dubai deal has the potential to be the most division-blurring of all -- and the most damaging to Karl Rove's dreams of turning 2006 into a replay of 2004.

Bush's reputation as the Great Protector who will do anything -- anything! -- to keep us safe, even if it means torturing, spying, and trashing the Constitution and the Geneva Conventions, is his one remaining political asset. And putting six of our major ports under the control of the United Arab Emirates threatens to undermine this rep in an irreparable way. You don't need to be a member of the Council on Foreign Relations to grasp that a country that embraced the Taliban, was a financial hub for the 9/11 attackers, and whose own ports were used by notorious Pakistani scientist A.Q. Kahn to smuggle nuclear components to Iran, Libya, and North Korea, probably shouldn't be handed the keys to shipping operations in New York, New Jersey, Miami, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New Orleans (I mean, c'mon, haven't Bush and Chertoff done enough damage to the Big Easy?).

< snip >

Here are just some of the questions that need to be answered: Why was it approved in little more than half the 45-days mandated by Congress? Why didn't the president find out about the deal until it was already done? Why wasn't Congress briefed about the transaction before it was approved? What role did the corporate connections of Treasury Secretary Snow and newly appointed Maritime Administration head David Sanborn play in winning the White House's backing? Was the deal tied to the pending trade agreement the administration is negotiating with the UAE? The most significant aspect of the port controversy is the spotlight it turns on the White House's hypocrisy on national security. Just look at what Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had to say: "We have to balance the paramount urgency of security against the fact that we still want to have a robust global trading system."

That says all you need to know about the perverted priorities of the Bush White House. Four and a half years after 9/11, our ports remain shockingly vulnerable to terrorist attacks, with about five percent of cargo given security screenings. Our chemical and nuclear plants are similarly susceptible. And the guy in charge of Homeland Security is more worried about chilling the international business climate than keeping us safe. So fighting the global war on terror needs to be "balanced" with a robust bottom line? Is the business of America still business -- even for those touting their "post-9/11 worldview"? For a long time now, I've been urging Democrats to relentlessly take on the president on national security. Well, he's just handed them the Mother of All National Security Cudgels. Start pummeling ... before the GOP rebellion beats you to the punch.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060222/cm_huffpost/016187;_ylt=A86.I2ROX_1DimABvxf9wxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

[wiggs]

1. Use port issue to shine light on all policy areas

Pummel on national security, yes, but point out similar pattern in all policy areas...where corporatism and corruption have led to poor decisions: energy industry, big farming, global warming, mining, forestry, management of public lands, medicare and medical costs, social security/wall street, bankruptcy, Iraq, deficits/tax cuts, Abramoff, Halliburton.

Snow and Sanborn are industry folks put in government roles for a reason. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of their kind sprinkled throughout this administration making decisions on behalf of industry and corporate ideology.

This is the story that the GOP needs to be pummelled with. This ties everything together in a sad, grim, but true story that is easy to understand. It is there for the taking.

[Beetwasher]

2. Now Is The Time To Kick The GOP in the Nuts and Then Beat Them

w/ a tire iron.

I don't care whether they are against Bush on this, we need to tar them w/ it anyway. All of them are soft on security because they support Chimpy and cannot be trusted to keep him in check. Watch what they do, not what they say. They will say they are outraged but then allow him to get away w/ it anyway.

[KoKo]

3. They've had a few days now....and where are the "stragglers?" I know

Hillary, Kerry, Schumer and Corzine have spoken out. Some Governors and other officials have spoken out on the Dem side.

Anyone know other Dems in House or Senate? We need to keep a list...