It's all over but the shouting for the Dubai Ports Deal. But
The Hill is reporting that the Dubai Port fiasco has caused headaches for at least one House candidate - Ralph Norman in South Carolina, who is challenging Democratic incumbent John Spratt.
Norman has the backing of the SC GOP establishment, Karl Rove and Bill Frist have already done fundraisers for him. Dick Cheney is planning on doing a fundraiser for Norman on March 17th.
So it is no surprise that Norman is toeing the Bush line on the Dubai Ports deal. In fact he recently admitted that he is supporting the deal because Karl Rove told him to.
To be continued after the jump.
Norman went on the record in SUPPORT of the ports deal in a February 28th article in the Sumter Item. The Sumter Item does not archive stories on its website, but
click here for a PDF scan of the original dead-tree article.
Those in the audience asked questions about education, abortion, Social Security, farm policy and the recent uproar about the sale of port operations for six U.S. ports to Dubai Ports World.
Norman said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove spoke of the ports issue when in the state recently to support Norman, and Rover said the ports issue is not the national security issue that's been portrayed in the media. In fact, he said, Rove said it's a "non-issue," because security was never going to be turned over to the Middle Eastern compnay. Rove is "strongly for the deal," Norman said
When the questioner pressed Norman for his personal opinion of the ports issue, Norman said "From what I know about it, I would stay with it."
So there you have it, a GOP candidate so bought and paid for by the Bush administration that he is willing to trade away our ports to a foreign country with a nexus to terrorism.