Al Franken Getting Celebrity Support

U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, center, meets with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., left, and committee member Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, July 27, before a hearing his nomination to be permanent ambassador. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) (Dennis Cook - AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ When President Bush visits Miami on Monday, he might not want to take a spin around the radio dial. Chances are he'll get an earful.

A nonprofit organization financed by Florida ports operator Eller & Co. has purchased ads on four radio stations that criticize the administration's initial support for a business deal that shifted operation of several U.S. port terminals, including the Port of Miami, to a company owned by the government of Dubai.

"Mr. President, why did you let the United Arab Emirates, an enemy of Israel and friend and trading partner of Iran, take over our ports," the one-minute ad states. "Welcome to Miami, Mr. President, but please don't allow the emir of Dubai to control the operations and security of our port. Please don't endanger our families. You took an oath to protect us, please honor your oath."

The government-owned Dubai Ports World acquired operation of U.S. port terminals earlier this year as part of its acquisition of Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation. Following an outcry in Congress over placing an Arab-owned company in charge of security-sensitive U.S. port terminals, Dubai Ports announced in March that it would sell the U.S. terminals to a U.S.-owned firm

Deutsche Bank, which is handling the sale, provided potential bidders with information last week. The final sale is not expected until the fall.

Alan Neigher, a lawyer for Eller and chairman of Portsforus.org, which paid for the ads on four Miami radio stations, said they're intended to remind the public that while the furor over the ports deal has subsided, the fate of the ports remains in question. Neigher described the ad buy as modest, in the "low five figures."

Continental Stevedoring & Terminals, an Eller subsidiary, has filed suit in Florida contending the initial sale of P&O to the Dubai-owned firm violated contracts between partners at the Port of Miami. A judge this week dismissed some portions of the suit, but let others stand for further litigation.

The ads are running over the weekend and on Monday. Bush plans to be in Florida Sunday and Monday. His trip includes a tour of the Port of Miami.

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On the Net:

Midwest Values PAC: http://www.midwestvaluespac.org/

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Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.