According to today’s New York Times, the United Arab Emirates-based company Dubai Ports Worlds will “request” congressional review of its plan to operate six United States port terminals. Of course, this request comes after nearly one week of bad press (is there any other kind lately?) for the Bush administration, which failed to consult Congress, port authorities, or local officials in its decision making process. Clearly this move is designed to prevent a bipartisan attack on Bush’s plans, which, like always, were made with little or no consideration for democratic engagement.

Surely, many people (both congress and its various constituencies) disagree with the proposal based on anti-Arab bias disguised as security concern (The truth is, UAE has been an ally and is far less of a security threat than Bush’s extreme cronyism). While this is surely unfair, it is difficult for me to feel bad for Bush, whose post-911 scare tactics have created the very xenophobia that is now preventing him from completing the deal