The port security scandal isn’t really about port security, as reader and fellow milblogger Green pointed out. He called the controversy a Red Herring. I disagree. It’s not a Red Herring because our President is accountable to America. If a lot of Americans express concerns over something, then his duty to allay those concerns, or at least address them properly seems apparent to me. That’s not what has happened thus far. I certainly believe the press tells the story of what’s happening in as poor a light as possible, but the President could have handled this very differently. I wish he had.
No one at the White House, in fact, seemed to know about the sale of operations to the state-owned Dubai Ports of the United Arab Emirates until it was a done deal. Twelve departments were involved in the decision, but none made the White House aware that security concerns could have bubbled into the controversy it is today.
On the port security turmoil, our President sounded defensive and hostile. I can understand sticking to your guns, but sometimes, especially when you are a public servant, the correct solution is to answer the question.
When did American government in general become so arrogant? Public officials serve the people, not the other way around. When President Bush fails to be a humble, articulate servant of the people, then he fails to meet my expectations. Threatening his first veto over demands from a wide cross section of Americans for evidence that this port deal is in our best interest seems like a mistake any way you look at it.
An expectation of humility coupled with accountability in leadership shouldn’t just apply to President Bush and his administration. I would think Senator Ted Kennedy and many other senior American politicians on both sides of the aisle would benefit from a lecture on what it means to be a good steward of the people. As a member of the U.S. military, I am required to attend annual lectures on all kinds of issues from sexual harassment to ethics. Our top leaders might also benefit from regularly scheduled mandatory attendance lectures geared towards their own unique positions of stewardship. After all, God created all men (and women) equal so let’s have the same high expectations from our elected leaders as we do from anyone serving in uniform.
Some annual mandatory workshops I would like to see self-imposed by our Legislative and Executive branches:
Avoiding Rhetoric and Doublespeak
Staying in Touch with Constituents
The Right to Redress
Rights Reserved to States and the People
The Meaning of Accountability
Stop Avoiding the Question Just Because you Don’t Like The Question
Responsibility Starts at the Top
President Bush could have dispelled this hubbub by having the White House produce a nice color report with some bullet points in it convincing us the Dubai company taking over the ports is completely safe. Instead he threatened a veto which made him appear hostile and secretive. For a man already beleagured by critics, it was an ill advised move, in my opinion.
Indications from the blogosphere and various pundits do seem to indicate that the uproar over Dubai is much ado about nothing. But perception is reality, and I hope the President will work harder to build a positive perception of his administration. Although, to be fair, nothing he could possibly do would convince a certain intellectually damaged segment of our population that he is doing the best he can in the face of an incredible cacophony of yammering fools.