Well, the furor over the Dubai ports deal has officially climaxed, leaving President Bush aggrieved and the Sergeant-At-Arms of the Senate still cleaning the lectern of the spooge of righteous indignation. The story is now on its way to Sunday morning for pundits of all stripes to pick over its corpse.

We predict the following:

1. Dubai has framed the electoral debate thusly: "I was totally strong on the ports!" "Yeah? I was a lot stronger!" "Oh yeah? Well I was going to set a prayer rug on fire!" "Pish. Big deal! I totally was going to pee on a Koran!" "Oh, yeah? I've got a Koran down my pants right now!"

2. Anyone who tries to make the reasonable argument that it's perhaps not the worst idea in the world to allow Arab nations the opportunities to diversify their economic portfolios to something beyond the oil industry and Syriana State University for the Resentful and Disaffected will be called a traitor and have pig's blood dumped on their head, Carrie stizz.

Such a contentious issue. And to think it could have all be averted if maybe someone had published a cartoon of a happy Muhammed helping the people of Baltimore to unload a container vessel.