Shut Up, Alberto!

Why is the Bush administration so right on the global terror threat and so wrong on the domestic terror threat? We throw out the Taliban, topple Saddam, cripple al Qaeda's finances -- but refuse to secure our borders and sell off our ports in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia to Arab interests?! What's with that?

Here's Atty Gen Alberto Gonzales discussing the latter:

"Lots of considerations are weighed in connection with a recommendation, and the consensus was this was a transaction that should be approved. It was something that went through our normal process. It's one that takes into account matters of national security, takes into account concerns about port security. And for a variety of reasons, the consensus was that this was a transaction that should be approved."

What a crock. The process Gozales describes is not unlike the process the sale of Unocal to the Chinese would have gone through, had a public uproar not stopped it in its tracks. Its a Commerce Department review, more driven by trade issues. It should be a Homeland Security Department review.

That doesn't even give great comfort, given the way it's been run.

It's time for another public outrage -- and the fact that it takes public protest to undo a decision so obviously bad diminishes the GOP reputation as the national security party. That, and our safety, are too valuable to squander on stupid decisions like this.