I Take That Back

I wrote yesterday that President Bush would profit in the long run from the kerfuffle over the ports deal. I take that back. Since yesterday it has been revealed:

1. That Bush did not know that his administration approved the sale.
2. That the approval was contingent on a 'secret' agreement.

The fine print of the scare headlines on the 'secret agreement' is that this is business as usual. If anything, the U.S. was relatively lenient, not requiring some things typically required in such arrangements. And the documents were labeled "Confidential", per normal with something considered a trade secret.

Bush not knowing is the big problem. Obviously, politicians at all levels are very worried by this deal. For Homeland Security not to figure out that this was worth elevating - if only for public relations concerns - shows how out of touch they are with political realities.

This is snowballing into a PR disaster, and - all spin aside - it reflects poorly on Bush's flagship Department and the channels of communication within his administration.