Democratic Race Baiting

There really is no other way to characterize Democratic opposition to the Dubai ports deal other than pandering to racism. Newsweek has a story about how the Bush administration's tin ear on the issue can be traced back to the absence of racism.

Many security experts saw no cause for concern from a company so multinational in its makeup that it has been criticized in its own backyard for not hiring enough Arabs. Regardless of who owns the ports, the experts said, security would still be handled by the Coast Guard, the Customs Service, and dockworkers hired through U.S. unions. The United Arab Emirates, home to the Dubai firm, drew fire when money to fund the 9/11 attackers sloshed through their wide-open banking system. But since then, they've cooperated extensively with the U.S. military and intelligence services.

Dubai Ports World already works closely with the United States, shutting down its commercial traffic whenever the Navy sails in. So when it first approached the Feds about a takeover in mid-October, there were no red flags. American officials asked the company to sign assurances that it would follow their security orders and allow access to records. They finished their formal review in mid-January with no public fanfare and no extended inquiry.

On the other hand, Arabs have big noses and some of them are really mean. Perfect targets for race baiting politics.