Frist sees chance of Dubai port sale

Congress will closely watch a Dubai-owned company to be sure it transfers its U.S. port operations to an American company, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday.

But Frist, R-Tenn., acknowledged that if an American buyer is not found, and the Bush administration determines there are no security risks, a deal for DP World to manage and operate major U.S. ports still could go through.

Frist said he hopes a U.S. panel headed by the Treasury Department, known as the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, will continue with its 45-day review of the deal’s potential security risks. The panel previously approved the deal after a routine, 30-day review. Frist declined to say whether he would support killing the deal should DP World fail to find a suitable buyer.

WASHINGTON

DNC chairman open to primary changes

The chairman of the Democratic National Committee said Sunday he supports having racially diverse states vote early in the presidential selection process, although there was “wiggle room” in the details.

“It’s certainly a good idea to have more geographic diversity and more ethnic diversity in the Democratic nominating process,” said Howard Dean. “We are committed to leaving Iowa first as the first caucus in the country and New Hampshire as the first primary in the country.”

On Saturday, the Democratic Party’s rules and bylaws committee agreed to move one or two state caucuses ahead of New Hampshire, a decision that could cause a confrontation with that state, traditionally the site of the nation’s first presidential primary.

Minorities have been pushing for more of a voice in the early voting, noting that Iowa and New Hampshire are overwhelmingly white. The new early states could come from the South and West to provide regional diversity as well.

ABERDEEN, S.D.

Daschle weighing presidential run

Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, accusing the GOP of spreading a message of fear, says he is considering a 2008 presidential bid.

“I haven’t ruled anything out or anything in at this point,” Daschle said in an interview Saturday night after a hometown dinner in his honor.

“I’m encouraged by the strong support many people have voiced for my candidacy around the country and in South Dakota. I’ll make a decision at some point later on this year,” he said.

Daschle said President Bush and Republicans have overemphasized the importance of the war on terrorism, and he said the U.S. is no safer now than it was before the Iraq invasion.

WASHINGTON

U.S. trying to calm world beef buyers

The Bush administration is trying to reassure Japan and other foreign customers of American beef while awaiting further tests on a suspected case of mad cow disease.

Routine testing indicated the possible presence of mad cow disease in a U.S. cow, the Agriculture Department announced Saturday. Results from more detailed testing at department laboratories in Ames, Iowa, are expected in the next week.

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns met Friday with his Japanese counterpart, Shoichi Nakagawa, while they were in London for global trade meetings. Johanns intended to brief Nakagawa about the possible case of mad cow disease before leaving London.

The secretary, who testified last week on Capitol Hill about budget matters, said lawmakers are anxious for trade to resume, Johanns said.

Compiled from wire reports