The Final Arbiter - Shady Texas Ethics

Looks like the Shrubmeister is sticking to his sixguns on the UAE ports deal.

Q Mr. President, since you're the final arbiter of the Dubai Ports deal, are you still inclined to approve it? And do you stand by your veto threat?

PRESIDENT BUSH: My position hasn't changed to my message to the Congress. And I appreciate the fact that the companies concerned have asked the Congress for a review of all the security implications.

Let me just make something clear to the American people. If there was any doubt in my mind, or people in my administration's mind that our ports would be less secure and the American people endangered, this deal wouldn't go forward. And I can understand people's consternation because the first thing they heard was that a foreign company would be in charge of our port security, when, in fact, the Coast Guard and Customs are in charge of our port security. Our duty is to protect America, and we will protect America.

On the other hand, this company is buying a British company that manages the ports. And by the way, there are a lot of foreign companies managing U.S. ports. And so my question to the members of Congress as they review this matter is, one, please look at the facts. And two, what kind of signal does it send throughout the world if it's okay for a British company to manage the ports, but not a company that has been secure -- been cleared for security purposes from the Arab world? So I look forward to a good, consistent review. You don't need to interpret. That's a U.S. question.

Looks like the W doesn't want the Italians to hear his answer: Note his last two sentences. Why?

By the way, I finally had a chance to view the film "Enron: The smartest guys in the room" last evening. Given that Lay and Skilling are in front of the judge as I type this, I thought it would be a nice refresher. What it really was was a lesson in Texas Ethics. Given how close the W and Kenny Boy were, I was left wondering who was the pupil and who was the teacher?

Either way, it put me to thinking that there has to be something more to this UAE ports deal that puts more cash into W's control or friends of his that the "investigative journalists" are missing. If Bush is taking lessons from his pal, we have reason to be concerned and suspicious. If Lay was taking lessons from Bush, we have reason to be concerned and suspicious. I would love to ask W the following: If you are such an ardent supporter of the UAE ports deal, what do you have to gain by it? How much money to do stand to win as a result of this deal going through?

Incidentally, if you think that the W, Rove and Co are here to support us, the American Taxpayers, guess again. Have a gander at Jim Hightower's commentary regarding the Corporate Welfare (which the white house glosses over as "Coporate Responsibility") - they very kind they are suggesting they do away with for poor, American taxpayers.

Shady Texas Ethics Lesson 1
Shady Texas Ethics Lesson 2
Shady Texas Ethics Lesson 3
Shady Texas Ethics Lesson 4