Is it true that Bush didn't know about port deal until it was done?

[BattyDem]

I heard something about that yesterday, but I thought I misunderstood the info. Now I'm not so sure. :shrug:

[Lochloosa]

1. According to H20 Man that's what was reported.

That was reported
by Lou Dobbs of CNN several times last night. Bush didn't have a clue until the story was being reported as a major controversy. Dobbs had a White House source verifying that.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x488443

[rodeodance]

6. I heard Dobbs last night. He was livid.

[rodeodance]

8. said Jr's advisors (Snow)--told him to 'get ahead of the story"-so he

called press people into his area in Air force I--

Than later when got off heleocopter he stopped to make another statement about how nat. sec. is not compromised. --but he took no questions.

[H2O Man]

14. Watching Bush

talk about it yesterday, one can only conclude that he was not familiar with the topic. Though he is never a gifted speaker, he was clearly on shakey ground. His entire effort was focused on sounding confrontational -- "I'll veto any effort ..."

[H2O Man]

13. Yep.

It is true.

While I do not think that democrats should politicize the national security aspects of this, I think that the fact that Bush is so out of touch is fair game.

[BattyDem]

15. Unbelievable!

I'm not really surprised about Bush** being out of the loop, but it shocks me that they would admit it on this particular issue! He's supposed to be our "protector" - but he can't protect anyone or anything if he doesn't know what's going on. The GOP claims to be the "national security" party, so a change in that perception is very bad for them, especially in an election year. I can't decide if BushCo is simply falling apart or they've got some other agenda. :shrug:

[H2O Man]

19. If you consider

George W.'s business experience, it becomes pretty clear why no one bothers to get him up to speed on issues like this, until they need him to go out on the White House lawn and bark. It would take a very shallow grasp on the realities of George's intellectual limitations to assume that boy is in charge.

[BattyDem]

20. WE KNOW he's never been in charge ...

but most of the sheep who voted for him think he's a great leader! :eyes:

I just can't figure out why they're letting him look so completely out of the loop on this - unless the neocon leadership has decided they don't need him anymore. He is a lame duck, after all.

[RazzleDazzle]

17. C'mon, you don't BELIEVE he knew nothing about it, do you?

If that were the case, then given the Carlyle connection, it points to Poppy having a huge heretofore unkown influence on basically the whole administration.

the connection to it all - Carlyle Group involved in port security deal
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2471320#2471323
also: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x473813
and: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x474295
Link: http://www.bridgedeck.org/mmp_news_archive/2002/mmp_news021219.html
and: http://www.nsnet.com/archive-1-2005-02.html
and: http://www.informare.it/news/review/2003/b030303.asp

[liberal N proud]

2. I don't believe that at all.

He is too close to the Saudis and UAE. There is something big in this deal for him and that is why he is standing firm and decisive on this issue.

[Canuckistanian]

11. Good point. He's the one with the royal family connections

And this was a huge deal. To say Shrub was unaware is ludicrous.

[rodeodance]

3. well, Rummy admitted he didn't know (see below)

it was last wed that Hil Clinton had a headline about putting a bill agaist the deal and Schumer and others had press conf on Thurs.

http://thinkprogress.org/

BREAKING: Rumsfeld and Pace Not Consulted On Transfer Of Port Operations To UAE

In a press briefing today, Secretary Rumsfeld revealed that he was not consulted about the decision to transfer operations of six key U.S. ports to the United Arab Emirates, a country with troubling ties to international terrorism.

QUESTION: Are you confident that any problems with security — from what you know, are you confident that any problems with security would not be greater with a UAE company running this than an American company?

RUMSFELD: I am reluctant to make judgments based on the minimal amount of information I have because I just heard about this over the weekend.

Rumsfeld’s statement was particularly troubling because Dubai Ports World, owned and operated by the UAE government, will also take over a major contract managing the movement of military equipment for the U.S. Army. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace, who was at the briefing, also said he found out about the deal over the weekend. The deal was approved on February 13.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan claimed the Defense Department was part of “a rigorous review…for national security concerns.” If so, why were two of the Department’s top officials not even informed, much less consulted?

UPDATE: Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, is a member of Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States. As such, he was one of the people who, according to the Treasury Department, unanimously approved the sale on February 13. How could do that when he didn’t even find out about the sale until last weekend?

Filed under: Homeland Security

[Webster Green]

4. He's always out of the loop...

Cheney does the wheeling and dealing, and the chimp is just a cheerleader for the big dick's idiotic policies.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. That is what Maureen Dowd said in her column this a.m.

Even Rumsfeld didn't know.

So, like, who is in charge? I wonder if Cheney knew?

[xiamiam]

7. its a lie...why did he appoint sanborn in january if he didnt know?

[WePurrsevere]

9. Sure he didn't know... just like he didn't know about NO drowning....

just like he didn't know terrorists were going to attack using a plane... just like he didn't know Jack... just like he didn't know... well... you get my point and I'm sure could fill in the blank.

The Easter Bunny & Santa Claus are a whole lot more honest and believable then anything that comes from this mal-admin and Bush*t.

[madrchsod]

10. he was told about it

it`s the old ronny reagan ploy...but ronny really didn`t know and if he did he would have forgotten about it..

[BattyDem]

12. You're probably right, but it makes the "war pResident" look ...

like he's not the least bit capable of protecting the country. Of course, DUers never believed he was protecting us, but the average person thought he was and because of that, they thought the Repugs were better for national security. By admitting/claiming that Junior (or Rummy) didn't have a clue, it blows the whole "GOP will keep you safer" argument right out of the water! How can they keep us safer if they don't know what the f*ck is going on? I don't get it. :shrug:

[xiamiam]

16. i just cant see a way out of this for him..if he admits he knew and broke

standard procedure to push it thru with an incomplete investigation..he looks incompetent...if he says he didnt know but is willing to veto any move to stop it..he looks incompetent...no win situation for him...and i think we should make sure it stays that way

[JaneGat]

18. If he didn't know, his nomination in January of DP World director

David Sanborn is an interesting coincidence.

"President Bush in January nominated David Sanborn as head of the Maritime Administration in the Department of Transportation.

Sanborn is director of European and Latin American operations at DP World, an international port services provider. Sanborn is a former vice president of CMA CGM and of American President Lines."

http://www.amo-union.org/Newspaper/Sections/news/marad.htm

[Tin Man]

21. ********* WOW - Great catch !!! ************

excellent work, JaneGat!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Tin Man]

22. DP's Sanborn to oversee USDOT's Maritime Security Program???????

from JaneGat's link:

"At MARAD (MARatime ADministration), Sanborn would oversee the Maritime Security Program, the Ready Reserve Force, and the embattled Title XI shipbuilding loan and mortgage guarantee program. "

suddenly, I hear a claxon sounding...