Run Away!!

The port deal is dead as a doornail. LATimes (03.09.06):

Congress and the White House advanced on a collision course as the House Appropriations Committee approved a measure that Bush had promised to veto — and attached it to a bill the president dearly wanted. The ports measure, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Lewis (R - CA41), the committee's chairman, would ensure that Dubai Ports World, a company partly owned and operated by the government of the United Arab Emirates, would not operate any U.S. port facilities." House Panel Votes to Block Takeover of Port Facilities

"The committee, long a bastion of support for the Bush administration, passed the prohibition, 62 to 2". Knight-Ridder (03.08.06):

"The White House, fighting public opinion and anxious Republican lawmakers, worked against the odds Wednesday to prevent Congress from blocking the transfer of some U.S. port terminals to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates Republicans in the House of Representatives, publicly snubbing President Bush, inserted language to scuttle the deal into an emergency spending bill for hurricane relief and the war in Iraq." Congress breaking with Bush on Dubai ports deal

"Members of Congress report that calls to their offices against the deal are overwhelming." "'It's the biggest calling volume since the (Clinton) impeachment,' said Rep. Mark Foley (R - FL16). 'Those calls were mixed, for or against the impeachment. These are universally opposed.'" There's no way in hell Congress is gonna support this deal. George says he's willing to work things out. "'We recognize that some members (of Congress) have concerns," McClellan said. "The lines of communication are open. There are a lot of conversations going on between the company and Congress and the administration, and those continue.'" On the other hand, Holden points out that "(i)mmediately following [McClellan's statement, the President] renewed his veto threat. How's that for a conversation?" To paraphrase Trent Lott, bring it on Big Boy.