The Underlying Problems

For instance: "Bush responded to accusations of a botched federal response to Hurricane Katrina by arguing that no one could have anticipated that New Orleans' levees would fail. He also said, in response to accusations over intelligence failures before the September 11 attacks, that he had no idea U.S. enemies would use 'airplanes to kill.'

"Bush did not hear personally from Vice President Dick Cheney until about 36 hours after Cheney accidentally shot a hunting partner in Texas."

The list goes on.

The Politics of Hysteria

Williams Greider writes for the Nation: "A conservative blaming hysteria is hysterical, when you think about it, and a bit late. Hysteria launched Bush's invasion of Iraq. It created that monstrosity called Homeland Security and pumped up defense spending by more than 40 percent. Hysteria has been used to realign US foreign policy for permanent imperial war-making, whenever and wherever we find something frightening afoot in the world. Hysteria will justify the 'long war' now fondly embraced by Field Marshal Rumsfeld. It has also slaughtered a number of Democrats who were not sufficiently hysterical. It saved George Bush's butt in 2004.

"Bush was the principal author, along with his straight-shooting Vice President, and now he is hoisted by his own fear-mongering propaganda. The basic hysteria was invented from risks of terrorism, enlarged ridiculously by the President's open-ended claim that we are endangered everywhere and anywhere (he decides where). Anyone who resists that proposition is a coward or, worse, a subversive."

Rove Speaks, Dubai Yields

Jonathan Weisman writes in The Washington Post: "Facing unrelenting political and national security concerns, an Arab maritime company offered late last night to delay part of its $6.8 billion deal to take over significant operations at six U.S. ports, after White House aide Karl Rove suggested that President Bush could accept some delay of the deal.

"The surprise announcement should give Bush extra time to try to convince lawmakers from both parties that the port deal does not present an avenue for terrorists to exploit the nation's vulnerable and heavily populated seaports. . . .

"The imbroglio over the port decision has tarnished the administration's image of political strength on national security matters and called into question why Cabinet members and other high-ranking officials failed to consult with the president and members of Congress before approving the sensitive transaction.

"With the White House saying the president did not learn about the sale until last weekend -- when lawmakers began complaining about it -- Bush has signaled that opposition to the port purchase smacks of anti-Arab bias that is undermining Washington's efforts to improve relations in the Middle East. To critics, the White House has put its free-trade economic agenda above concerns that go to the heart of fears in the post-Sept. 11, 2001, world: that underprotected ports could be the scene of a deadly terrorist strike, possibly with nuclear weapons."

Rove sent his very public hint yesterday morning. Here's the transcript of Rove's appearance on Fox News Radio's "The Tony Snow Show."

"SNOW: Some members of Congress say they want longer to study this. Dubai Ports World seems to be not averse to that. Would the president accept a slight delay in implementing the takeover by Dubai Ports World of P&O, which was the previous operator of these terminals?

"ROVE: Yes, look, there are some hurdles, regulatory hurdles, that this still needs to go through on the British side as well that are going to be concluded next week. There's no requirement that it close, you know, immediately after that.