The Absurd Report

Washington defines politics downward.

Witnessing the political reaction this week to the administration’s Dubai ports-management decision, the phrase that insistently called out from memory was the title of a famous essay by the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, “Defining Deviancy Down.” One would not have thought it possible, but Washington’s political class is defining our politics down.

After nearly seven days of elevating the Cheney bird-hunting accident to the level of a national crisis, now comes this week’s flap over managing the ports. To be sure, the matter of secure U.S. ports trumps the hunting of quail as an affaire d’état. But it was the strikingly low quality of the politicians’ commentary and behavior that attracted notice.

Within hours, if not minutes, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Robert Menendez announced “emergency” legislation to “ban foreign governments from controlling operations at our ports.” No matter that most of the current operators of our ports are from Denmark, Britain and, uh-oh, China. Chuck Schumer: “It’s hard to believe that this administration would be so out of touch with the American people’s national security concerns.” Yes, that is hard to believe.

Once the match was put to the ports decision in Washington…….

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