Bush dismisses GOP leaders' demand to block seaports deal
By William Douglas
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON - Brushing off public demands from the two top Republicans in Congress, President Bush said Tuesday that a deal allowing an Arab company to run six major U.S. seaports should go forward and that he'd veto any effort by Congress to stop it.
Both House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said that the proposed port takeover by Dubai Ports World, a state-owned company from the United Arab Emirates, posed potential national security risks.
Both said they wanted the deal stopped immediately pending a more thorough review. And Frist said that if Bush wouldn't stop the deal, he'd introduce legislation to force a halt, echoing a call by a growing number of lawmakers from both parties...http://tinyurl.com/hfucm
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