Capitol Hill Blue - The public relations war

CHB Home / Half-Shell Home/ Print This Page / Email this page

The public relations war

March 10, 2006 07:09 AM / Bush Leagues .

By DAN K. THOMASSON

In the public-relations war, President Bush seems to have won one and lost one, dodging the bullet on the warrantless wiretapping issue while suffering a major defeat in the matter of outside control of U.S. ports.

It's not terribly surprising that public reaction to the prospect of an Arab nation with links to terrorists managing six major American harbors would stimulate an overwhelmingly negative response from voters. Nor is it at all curious that both houses of Congress would then set out to upset the deal with the United Arab Emirates. The House Appropriations Committee made that clear with a 62 to 2 vote to deny the contract.

More disconcerting to civil libertarians, however, is the at least temporary capitulation to the White House by the Senate's Republicans over bypassing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to monitor calls between the United States and overseas locations. The Senate Intelligence Committee voted to set up a separate panel to oversee the program rather than undertake a major investigation into whether the president had violated the law as charged by many Democrats.

Americans seem to be pretty evenly divided over the wiretap issue with most of them ambivalent about the potential dangers to their civil rights. Not so, however, on the question of whether the UAE should manage the ports security officials have repeatedly warned are among the most potentially vulnerable to terrorist incursion.

House members, always more sensitive to the political ramifications in their districts, have heard about little else during trips home and Republican members, particularly antsy about the November elections, have forced the issue with their leaders. The result, of course, is the expected overwhelming rejection of Dubai by the full house. It will be difficult for the Senate, whose leaders have joined the White House in seeking to defuse the issue by delaying the contract, not to follow suit.

Since the controversy over the ports erupted, it has been obvious that it was an easily understood issue that would strike home with most Americans who openly demanded to know why the U.S. was assigning port management to any foreign company, especially a Middle Eastern one. All assurances by the White House that security would still belong to this nation and that there is no danger from Dubai have failed to resonate.

Despite the potential threat of constitutional abuse by the National Security Agency's program of international eavesdropping without court sanction, the public has not reacted the same way. That's easily understood. While unauthorized wiretapping and interception of e-mail is among the potentially most invasive government actions, few Americans believe it actually impacts them, particularly since both the president and the attorney general have pledged that it doesn't extend to purely domestic transmissions.

The Democrats and civil libertarians aren't likely to drop this issue and should the NSA with White House and Justice Department backing push demands to explore who leaked the information to the press, there is certain to be a new round of publicity. Obviously The New York Times, which revealed the practice after holding back for a year because of security concerns, isn't going away. Having won at least a small victory in keeping the Democrats from exploiting the issue in the Senate, the president might be better advised to go easy on a subsequent leak investigation.

Another attempt to force the press into giving up sources, once again raising serious First Amendment questions, is not what the administration needs at the moment, particularly as it tries to get its act together for the November midterm congressional elections. Parading a group of nationally recognized reporters and commentators to the witness stand in the case against former vice presidential aide Scooter Libby in the Valerie Plame matter should be volatile enough.

If Democrats win control of even one house this fall, all bets are off on the wiretapping and any other controversial issue for Bush. It took more than a year to convince the Congress, with his party in solid control, to extend the Patriot Act and even then with some restrictions.

As has been noted, some public relations sense could have prevented the port contract from exploding in the president's face. In reality, the eavesdropping gaffe is far more serious because it concerns his obligations under the law. He may have succeeded in escaping from that one for the moment. Still, his overwhelming rejection by members of his own party on the port issue could be a harbinger of more bad times for Bush.

(Dan K. Thomasson is former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service.)

Comments

Is this the best you can do? Pretty shabby perspective for an American who is supposed to believe in Freedom & Liberty and Constitutionality. Which is what makes us the so called country we are suppose to be.
Constitutionality? Know what that is dude?
Does anyone really think that change will come by electing democrats or Republicans back into Office? Only for the really Rich it will. More poverty for hard working Americans is what is coming. As Our federal deficit exceeds it's ability to be handled. Which it already HAS!
Toi Bad Americans cannot get into their think skulls. That everytime Amerias US government Borrows from the FED. We LOOSE! Land, Gold, weverything. You name it. WE Give away our true assets to a foreign Banking comglomerate of families, for what? Pieces of papaer that say they have value on them. Marked with enumerations of 1, 5 and everything else. You just donot get it yet do you America?

Our money???? Is based on OIL. What if our ability to control oil prices or should I say the Londons APEX and the NYSE control on world oil prices is eliminated? There goes the US Dollar. Into the toilet. See why our Founding Fathers, said that Money should be a Metal of gold or silver and be coined? Because Presious metals keep some kind of value no matter what. Paper, based on OIL. Is Garbage. It is theft. But maybe you already knew that, huh?
I don't know about most of my fellow Americans. But I'm tired of being controlled by a few people in my own country. Who can manipulate every aspect of our lives with a flip of the switch. Even if & when we bitch about. Doesn't it seem like it really never does any Good?

It's the Laws in which we are subjected to. YOu donot live in a FREE country America. You are granted Privledges. That's what servants have. Look up the word sovereign? Are you one of those? Nope! You aren't! But that is what you & I anbd every other American is suppose to be. Government worls for Us. Now let's quit screwing around and get this Nation back to what it is suppose top BE! A Free Republic. Not a democracy, Corporacy, theocracy or oligarchy! A FREE REPUBLIC. Where the people have the Last Word and not corporations that control us for their whims. Especially the foreign ones!You know I speak the truth.

Posted by Decoymaker at March 10, 2006 11:55 AM

Is the AEU port debacle a "flash fire" distraction set by arsonists with certainty it would distract from the ongoing destruction of our constitutionally based government. Look around. See what's going on. Both parties of our supposedly patriotic government are up to their beady eyeballs in hijacking and diverting accrued federal pension funds some of which is being gifted to churches to bribe the president's base to stay in line. Social Security assets will be next to be sacrificied on the alter of buying the vote for the administration and for financing fake wars.

Not a cent of the hundreds of millions blown on the disgusting faith based initiatives is able or required to be accounted for by design of the executive order creating the faith based initiatives. They are a siphon line from our treasury to churches, the leadership of whom can be bought and paid for. This president does not want state and federal employees with degrees doing social work--preferring off the street or non social degreed folk to pass out whatever money doesn't stick to the hands passing it instead to many folk not even entitled to receive it and on ill designed programs whose efficacy is totally unproven. No federal agency is working for the benefit of our nation any longer. If the FBI is chasing a thief agents can go anywhere to apprehend but our Border patrol (as much if not more essential to our national security) is forbidden to access the very places where illegal aliens gather to apprehend and deport them. Port security is a dirty joke. With 1 out of each 20 "workers" in America now an illegal alien, we are in precarious shape. Our nation and our citizens are being financially bankrupted as quickly as possible in every way possible. And what's behind this? It's not difficult to understand. Our own government is destroying our nation for the goal of removing us from under the US Constitution and leaving us with no replacement but privateer run supposed trade treaties. FREE TRADE? Don't make me laugh. Free traders are the robber barons of the last century clicked up a notch to global corporate monopolies out to steal the resources of all nations and end up enslaving all people of all former nations. I don't know which is worse--our treasonous congess and administration behind this or the apathetic public that won't look past the ends of our noses! The basic essential to massive global trade is cheap energy. Our global corporate privateers subsidize the cheap energy they have through shunting the real costs off on consumers at gas pumps and for products. Osama bin laden couldn't have destroyed America alone. He needed the help of our sell out politicans to reduce America and Americans to third world status. Will the financial destruction of the US "bring up to parity" the remainder of the world? Never. All that will result is our form of government is destroyed, America is already past bankrupt, thieves in political garb are firesaleing our national and now private accrued assets -- and we continue ignoring what's being done to us. If we don't wake up and take back control of government and our lives from corporate global rapists, Americans are all going to end up exactly like beggars with tin cups as found in OTHER 3rd world nations.

Posted by Twilight at March 10, 2006 12:57 PM

Twilight?
You have it right. What is it that Americans that work cannot see? I know the news on TV is worthless. But? What you do get that is truthful........should shake many americans awake. Our borders? Open Like a seive. Illegals of all nationalities crossing by the droves? WHY?
FREE TRADE. FTAA is going to turn America into a new European Union type statehood. Drowning our US Constitution, or what's LEFT of it into Oblivion. People in this country will get shipped off to who knows where to stand trial. Some don't think so. I have News for them. Look at what they did to Zundel? Not that I advocate what he says. But he has a right to speak his mind like everyone else. people just donot get it. This country has been under Martial law since Abraham Lincoln ! Walk INTO a Courthouse and Look at the Flaf in the courtroom ya lazy Buzzards out there, and tell me what you see standing on a podioum in the corner ?
It will be a GOLD or Yellow Fringed FLAG! Thatr Flag IS UNconstitutional to even be there. That International symbol, yes , That's right! INTERNATIONAL sysmbolic flying turd of red, white & Blue is Not OUR US Article 4 GD, Independent American Flag! It is a Flag that represents you now Government and the Law in which it stands for. Which is Admiralty Jurisdiction. You are walking into a Military court when you walk through those doors. Being Held in representation of the President. THAT's why you aren't allowed to represent yourself. Or why many aren't able to. Because the Laws have been subjected under a bunch of Liars and crooks. We have been Usurped, And it has been near 100 years that we have not had a REAl Free Republican form of government. Get it? THis is the BIIIIIIIIIIG Secret that government doesn't want you to know. Our money is a ponsey cheme, our lives are a ponsy scheme for them, and so is this War and the Oil prices, Taxes, new laws that condemn misdemeanor offenders, to be subjected to felony type convictions loss of rights. Ect. etc.. God people wake the hell up all ready. Martial Law is Here , and you have been living under it in slow but continuing stronger graduations of it, for years. Geeeez!

Right now as it stands? We have No rights.None. You get that out there? HUH? YOu have NO rights
Stupid pea Brains! WTFU!

Posted by Decoymaker at March 10, 2006 04:22 PM

Big win our government gave us. We feel safer because the Arabs aren't running our ports, but we loss our liberty. As Patrick Henry said, Give me Liberty or give me death. When we allow one person to loose their liberty and freedom, it's one step away from us lossing ours. If we allow them to put Americans in prison without legal defense how long till they place us in prison? If we allow them to torture another human being how long before we are tortured?

Posted by rebecca Bank at March 10, 2006 09:08 PM

I have only been visiting this site for a few months, but I love the focus on current American problems & the honesty. I have been visiting a few other sites, also, trying to educate myself on what's at the root of the outrageous mess we find ourselves in. I want to share this article with you from the American Policy Center (grass roots)entitled "The Supreme Court has Abandoned the Constitution", March 18, 2004. Basically, this article & several others state our problems stem from our membership in the United Nations. That the UN's tenticles have been invading every aspect of our lives & in the process undermining our Sovernity as a Nation & our Constitution in favor of their Global perspectives. This site lists congress members & Supreme Court Judges that adhere to the global perspective.
IMHO we need to get out of the UNITED NATIONS and reclaim our Country!!! Ditto to everything written above. Hope I'm not infringing with this post. And, if anyone has a comment to the contrary, I would welcome it with any links to supportive commentary. Thanks & keep posting!
http://www.americanpolicy.org/un/abandoned.htm

Posted by Queen of Diamonds at March 10, 2006 11:22 PM

The public relations war

Comments

Post a comment