Port Deal Threatens Bush's Standing in GOP

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The contract has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers who fear the president's move will be a political liability to their reelection bids.
By Janet Hook, Times Staff Writer
February 26 2006


WASHINGTON — Republicans' raucous rebellion against the White House on a port management deal has proved to be a crucial juncture in George W. Bush's presidency, signaling how dramatically his vise-like grip on the GOP has been loosened in his second term.

It also serves to underscore a fundamental political reality: Most Republicans in Congress are up for reelection in 2006, and Bush is not.
For the first time, Bush is facing pointed, emotional opposition across the GOP political spectrum. From senior leaders to backbenchers, congressional Republicans are showing a rare willingness to go public with their criticism of his administration's decision to allow an Arab company to manage terminals at several large U.S. ports — a remarkable development for a White House notoriously intolerant of dissent.

A key question is whether the port imbroglio is an episode that will pass without lasting political effect or whether it will permanently damage Bush's position in the party, especially among the conservative base that sparked the opposition to the deal.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-portassess26feb26,1,2206760.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[IsItJustMe]

1. Alot of them are already back peddling from their original statements

Most of them don't know what to do. The standard answer seems to be:

Well, I don't know enough about it yet. I need to get more information before I can answerer that.

They are playing it safe, waiting to see how this is going to sell politically.

They are hoping that * with the power of the RW'ers and the 'hired for gun' lobbying firms will be able to pull off a propaganda coup before they have to make a deicing.

They want to vote for it; but if it gets much more political, they won't be able to.

That's my take on it.