The Definitive UAE Port Deal Blogger

There's one blogger out there who's had a well-reasoned, deliberate, non-inflammatory, actionable approach to the whole Dubai Ports World transaction from the get go.  In the early melee of the controversy, as pundits who typically find themselves on the same side of most every argument were suddenly at odds, pols too were a little discombobulated on both sides of the aisle, scrambling to find some intellectual, diplomatic, or electoral high ground to claim.  A few notable lawmakers even underwent immediate wholesale abandonment of their own long-standing, clearly stated attitudes on security in order to plant a flag of Presidential opposition.

But despite the convoluted politics of the deal and the very real security concerns associated with any apparent resolution (Does approving the deal invite unwanted access to our strategic protocol by an Arab state?  Does nixing the deal dissuade other Arab countries from assisting in the war on terror, as the UAE has?), I've been impressed by the prepense reasoning of this one right-of-center blogger.

Like many purveyors of fine blogs, the writer in question also holds a day job.  In this case, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate.

Senator First resisted the temptation to flog a political point by squeezing into either extreme of the argument and instead argued that the proper course was to temporarily halt the deal and subject it to a full and open formal review process.  His February 21st post outlining this approach notched up over 1,500 reader comments.

It seems simple and relatively self-evident, but precious few voices were championing this course at the outset.  The vast majority of opinions were split between "Kill the deal no matter what" and "Here are the keys, Dubai".  I must admit I myself leapt out of the gate early to hurl a Kelo snark, before learning all the key details.  (I also overestimated the quelling effect of Rove's appearance on the Tony Snow show, though I still maintain that was the turning point that set us on the current trajectory that will ultimately see the issue resolved.)

After studying the deal further and understanding the key differentials so poorly understood by many even now (that no "security" or "control" is under DPW's prospective purview, that DPW is one of the best in the world at this function) and considering some of the pros and cons of either a go or a no-go decision (secondary consequences of which are noted above), three things became clear.

1) Given the information currently available, a reasonable person could come down on either side of this issue, a 2) more study is going to be necessary to determine where we should come down on it.

Today, Senator Frist reiterated his call for an "exhaustive, transparent review" of the deal.  This is a welcome move for those of us in the camp that doesn't instantly relish the idea of state ownership of any strategic domestic assets by a country with a checkered past, but who recognize the importance of quid pro quo in international trade, of messages and incentives for other prospective allies in the war on terror, and of the economic importance of free trade.

One unfortunate side effect of the review will of course be no small measure of grandstanding by certain agenda-less Senators who will choose to mount the effort as an election-year soapbox, rather than take fullest advantage of it as an intellectually honest fact-finding process.  But after witnessing hour upon hour of their empty vitriol and blind, aphilosophical opposition in the course of the Alito confirmation hearings, Attorney General Gonzales' recent testimony, etc., I think we're slowly building up an immunity to such petty twaddle.

Still open is the issue of whether the ultimate decision to bless or condemn the deal is endowed to the Senate upon completion of the review.  Chuck Schumer has publicly insisted on such authority.  Bill Frist, for his part, has said he'll wait until after the 45 day review before making a decision about legislative steps that may be required.

In the meantime, keep abreast of the situation with the highest ranking elected active blogger in the 'sphere (Denny Hastert posts at Speaker's Journal, but the site hasn't been updated in over a month, which I think has to relegate the Speaker to "inactive blogger" status for now).

Previously:
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Port Security, But Wanted Filtered Through a Government Agency
This Is the Way Portgate Ends
The Highest Form of Flattery: Suitably Flip Plagiarized on ESPN Forum
Protecting Our Ports - Now With Credibility!
Hey Buddy, Wanna Buy a Port?