PortGate: The story that wouldn't go away...

Even after his approval ratings have hit an all-time Presidential low (34%… say it out loud and it sounds like heaven) and support for the war in Iraq is also at a new low, the “President” still refuses to actually look into the U.S. Ports Deal.

“President” Bush reaffirmed his support for allowing a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company control operations at many key-US ports despite a storm of political opposition from both parties and polling data that shows widespread public opposition to the arrangement (Republicans and Democrats have expressed concern at the port operations falling into foreign hands with polls saying the US public opposes the sale as well)

The UAE-based company (Dubai Ports World, or DPW, which is owned by the UAE government) has requested that the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, which approved the sale, conduct a broader, 45-day review of the transaction in order to calm fears and appease the American people.

Commander Cuckoo-Bananas has even gone so far as to threaten a veto on any legislation blocking the deal and stated: “My position hasn't changed.”

He-who-must-not-be-named also reiterated that the US Coast Guard (who originally opposed the plan due to “intelligence gaps”) and Customs Services would still be in charge of security when DPW takes over a British company that manages the terminals at the ports.

Also, the director of US national intelligence, John Negroponte, was asked back in November to weigh the threat posed by Dubai Ports World's proposed takeover of the British firm, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P and O), which currently manages the ports in Baltimore, Miami, New York, New Jersey, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

After looking into it, Negroponte said that his services had assessed that the deal posed only a low threat to national security.

Wait a minute… now it’s a low threat, before weren’t they telling us there was no threat?? Now it’s a low threat??? Here’s an idea, get your collective heads out of your collective asses, open your eyes and actually LOOK INTO SOMETHING!!!!!

But I digress…

I digress and ask; do you think too big a deal is being made of the whole U.S. port situation? Leave us a comment and vote in our poll up above and let us know.