The ports deal is dead.

I haven't really written on the ports deal as an issue, when 95% of the cargo comes in unchecked, I don't think it really matters who waves it through, but politically, it's become a story in itself. The administration's position has been politically tenuous thus far and against the public mood, and I think this revelation may put a nail in this one.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Homeland Security Department objected at first to a United Arab Emirates company's taking over significant operations at six U.S. ports. It was the lone protest among members of the government committee that eventually approved the deal without dissent.

The department's early objections were settled later in the government's review of the $6.8 billion deal after Dubai-owned DP World agreed to a series of security restrictions.

So, the "secret agreement" reported by the AP Thursday night between Dubai and the White House was simply a requirement to get Homeland Security to sign on? I don't think that's going to sway the public mood to the White House's side.