Dubai Deal is Bad News for Ohio

Sherrod chats with Hamilton Co. Chair Tim Burke before news conference

Lima news conference

News conference on port and trade security

Sherrod calls for a halt to trade deals that endanger national security

Sherrod made two stops this weekend in Lima and Cincinnati to highlight his opposition to the controversial Dubai port deal and promote new legislation to prevent future trade deals from compromising national security.

Local media including ABC affiliate WCPO and The Cincinnati Enquirer covered the Saturday event in Cincinnati, a key transportation hub on the Ohio River.  From The Enquirer:

"It's clear to almost everyone I know, including members of both parties of Congress, this $6.8 billion deal should be killed," said Brown, D-Lorain, during a press conference near Purple People Bridge.

Brown said the small Arab country had "strategic and financial ties" to Sept. 11 and had connections to al-Qaida, making it potentially dangerous for America.

"This job doesn't make sense for our security," said Brown, a likely challenger to U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine this fall.

Brown also touted legislation he said would require a security review of any country with which the U.S. enters into trade negations.

"That means any trade agreement any deal we do with another country would have to have a national security component to the trade deal," he said.

A crowd of local supporters gathered in Lima for a similar event on Sunday.  NBC affiliate WLIO and The Lima News reported on Sherrod's visit.  From The Lima News:

As traffic whizzed by on Market Street, U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown held a brief press conference Sunday in the parking lot of the Carpenter's Union Hall. Brown chose the location, just near the train tracks, to bring awareness to the public about a new agreement President Bush has pending with the United Arab Emirates.

"When you look at what's happening with bringing in cargo on our ports -- it's so often un-inspected and it comes in on rail road tracks like this," he said.

You can read more about Sherrod's efforts to secure Ohio's borders on the Plain Dealer's website, where he will be guest blogging all this week at the Open Mike.

Click here to read his first entry, "The UAE Has No Business Minding Our Ports."

03/07/2006 / Permalink / Dubai, Economy, Homeland Security, (all tags)