I hate to say I told you so, but....

I told you so.

Despite initial reports that DP World offered to separate out the American ports from its acquisition of P & O Steam Navigation Co., no fewer than two networks are reporting that the move was driven by the Bush administration.

ABC News:

The White House asked Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, to give up its management stake in U.S. ports, to save President Bush from the politically difficult position of vetoing a key piece of legislation to protect America's ports, ABC News has learned.

CBS News:

CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante reports the announcement came about after the company's consultations with White House political strategist Karl Rove.

All of which fulfills the prediction made on this page on February 21.

George W. Bush is a man who hates having anybody tell him what he should do. He genuinely considers himself above criticism or even questioning.

However, even this stubborn man will have to acknowledge the political necessity of reviewing (read: "undoing") the deal to have Dubai Ports World take over security for six American ports.

Bush took a much more circuitous and tortured route to the invevitable conclusion of this debacle than I thought he would, but the result is the same. In order to protect his image, the president has once again forsaken his so-called principles in favor of political expediency, and was dishonest about it, to boot.