Screw Israel, Lieberman Sticks To His Bush
When even Bill Frist, Dennis Hastert and Fox News have abandoned him on the matter of the ports, Commander Codpiece knows that Joe Lieberman can always be counted upon for the public fluff.
From the NYT:
One of the few legislators to come close to defending the transaction was Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, who is considered a security hawk among Democrats.This despite the fact that -- as Maureen Dowd notes -- the UAE does not recognize Israel and they have a history of being quite anti-Semitic. I guess it's a matter of priorities. Lieberman has long claimed to be a big supporter of Israel, but -- much like pro-choice -- I guess that's only when Junior lets him off his leash.
He told ABC News that he was "not yet" prepared to try to block the sale. He noted that many port terminals in the United States are foreign-owned.
"I worry more about the failure to invest in port security" - to improve the ability to detect smuggled weapons of mass destruction, for example - "than I worry right now about this sale," Mr. Lieberman said.
Update: NYT editorial:
The issue is not, as Mr. Bush is now claiming, a question of bias against a Middle Eastern company. The United Arab Emirates is an ally, but its record in the war on terror is mixed. It is not irrational for the United States to resist putting port operations, perhaps the most vulnerable part of the security infrastructure, under that country's control. And there is nothing in the Homeland Security Department's record to make doubters feel confident in its assurances that all proper precautions will be taken.Yeah I really don't think that "trust us on this one" meme is going to play.
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 2/22/2006 12:06:00 AM
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