I'll believe it when I see a veto

Headline on msnbc.com:

House Republicans defy Bush on ports deal

AP - In a congressional election-year repudiation of President Bush, a House panel dominated by Republicans voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block a Dubai-owned firm from taking control of some U.S port operations. Democrats clamored for a vote in the Senate, too.

By 62-2, the House Appropriations Committee voted to bar DP World, run by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, from holding leases or contracts at U.S. ports. The landslide vote was the strongest signal yet that more than three weeks of White House efforts to stunt congressional opposition to the deal have not been successful.

Are we really supposed to believe that - out of the goodness of their greedy little hearts, I suppose - the Republicans are worried about the security of this country?

These are the same people who just voted to increase the debt ceiling to a record $1.2 trillion and cut veteran's benefits. These are the same people who took lots of money from Jack Abramoff, yet claim they're working on "lobbying reform". (Heck, why not make bribery legal? Get the President to say he authorized it. No problem!)

Some of these folks are starting to sound like Democrats. Like this guy:

“One of the most vulnerable situations facing America is our ports of entry,” said Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee. “Whoever’s responsible for those ports of entry should be American.”

And this one:

“This is a national security issue,” said Rep. Jerry Lewis, the chairman of the House panel, adding that the legislation would “keep America’s ports in American hands.”

Apparently the House has responded to Bush's "Trust me." with a great big "F**k you!" If only we could entertain the hope that it was the first of many, but you know as well as I do, this is just a stunt to make the incumbents look just a little better come November.

Glenn Greenwald has a great post on this: Post-Mortem on the Intelligence Committe Vote

Government Republican Dubai United Arab Emirates Ports National Security