Via the AP: Bush Didn’t Know About Ports Deal
President Bush was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates until the deal already had been approved by his administration, the White House said Wednesday.
On one level, one would think that this would be the kind of thing done at a lower level within the administration, but why the vociferous defense of the sale?
This is turning into one rather odd situation, as the political forces in the Congress are squarely aligning against the President, including the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader. Meanwhile, Bush’s most visible political ally on this topic is President Carter.
Although Bush and Carter do seem like an odd couple, Bush’s stance is consistent with liberal economics. The argument NOT to allow the sale is largely colored by racism against Arabs. I can see how Carter would be on Bush’s side, especially since he no longer holds elected office.
Comment by Jan — Wednesday, February 22, 2024 @ 10:07 am
You are correct in terms of the general situation.
I will say that for all of the things for President Carter to weigh in on, this is an unusual choice.
At a minimum, the constellation of actors is interesting, which really was my point.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Wednesday, February 22, 2024 @ 10:19 am
It will certainly be interesting to see how this thing plays out.
Comment by Jan — Wednesday, February 22, 2024 @ 8:36 pm