Of Ports and Congressmen

03/09/2006

Paul Munnis

The American people have made it abundantly clear to the Congress that they want American strategic assets in the hands of Americans ownership and made secure.

Americans expect their government to get that job accomplished and are angry that it is so far in arrears after the 9/11/2001 wake-up call.

While many are saying it’s a racist move—I don’t think so—I think it’s an American expectation of American control for America’s strategic assets and was little else until Bush goofed and turned it into something else.

I don’t even think it was especially political at first, although Bush made it that way by denying the demands made by the public. In Congress it has turned out to be the most bipartisan event of the year. In the White House it may mark the beginning of a Lame Duck presidency. But it didn’t have to be that way. That was a Bush choice and a poor one at that when his ratings are so low and when he needs to repair himself by bringing people together and getting the peoples business attended to instead of grand-standing.

Now we need to move on. There are plenty of strategic assets ranging from nuclear power plants, to airports, to seaports, to oil refinries that all need be assured of total American ownership and control and having a proper security plan. The Department of Homeland Security will get no rest until that happens. Excuses will not suffice.

There will be lots of headlines ahead—this is not a dead issue. Prediction of dire retaliation from Dubai, from other Arab nations, from Europe and Asia, etc. will all follow. Some of it may even happen.

So be it.

It does not change the fact that American strategic assets must be owned by Americans and they must be secure. It does not matter what Party is in power. America is not for sale and will not be put at extreme risk again.

Congress needs to take due notice. They have spent the last four years not doing their job of proper Congressional oversight. The results have been grave for the American people. We are angry and we are letting Congress know it. Democrats have wisely taken the position that if Congress is not going to do the oversight job then Democrats will do it for them as the loyal opposition. The result is that the GOP is caught and exposed on so many matters that Congress should have caught, policed, and fixed themselves By letting the matters go and letting them fester they have brought disgrace upon themselves and their Party.

The next bombshell from the American public that is about to be delivered is over the matter of spying on American citizens. A law has been passed; the FISA Law. If Bush is in violation of it, he needs to be redirected, impeached, forced to resign, whatever—but he needs to obey the law. He has ample resources to work with Congress to change the law if he feels a need to, but he cannot disobey the law.

As for matters of corruption – that subject has barely scratched the surface.