It’s An Outrage!
Why…I…you…well, here:
In the aftermath of the Dubai ports dispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo passing through the Bahamas to the United States and elsewhere.
The administration acknowledges the no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a sophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present.
Freeport in the Bahamas is 65 miles from the U.S. coast, where cargo would be likely to be inspected again. The contract is currently being finalized.
The administration is negotiating a second no-bid contract for a Philippine company to install radiation detectors in its home country, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. At dozens of other overseas ports, foreign governments are primarily responsible for scanning cargo.
I tell you, it’s the worst thing since…what’s that?
Hong Kong?
Oh, I thought it was them dang Arabs…
Well, that’s different…
Or is it? Right on cue, the lefty blogs start the drumbeat of xenophobia…does anyone, anywhere, doubt for a minute that, if a President Kerry proposed this, there would be nary a whimper?
Shame on you…shame! Truly disgusting…
I trust those in power? You mean right now, or generically? I’m not sure I follow your point. What I’m saying is the ports deal got caught up in political considerations that had very little to do with reality…the Kerry comment was to point out the partisan nature of many of the attacks – but yes, the Republicans were compromised on this issue as well, for the most part.
If you want me to say the shame was bipartisan, you’ve got it – but I didn’t hear any Republicans grumbling about the Hong Kong deal…thus, the reference to the lefty blogs.
In any event, this thread has lasted longer than the uproar…