05:43 PM EST on Thursday, February 23, 2006

By STUART WATSON / 6NEWS
E-mail Stuart: SWatson@WCNC.com

6NEWS

Senator Elizabeth Dole was in Kannapolis Thursday for the groundbreaking on a research center

KANNAPOLIS -- The armed services committee on which Senator Elizabeth Dole serves took a hard look at the White House plan to allow the United Arab Emirates to run several US ports.

Elizabeth Dole was in Kannapolis Thursday for the groundbreaking on a research center.  6NEWS questioned Elizabeth Dole about her husband's lobbying on behalf of the UAE.

Former Kansas Senator Bob Bole is lobbying on behalf of the UAE who want to run the US ports.  He of course married to Elizabeth dole, the senator from North Carolina, but she said he hasn't spoken to her about the issue.

President George Bush has come under fire from members of his own party over the White House decision to support the government of Dubai in its bid to run several US ports.

Charlotte Congresswoman Sue Myrick sent a terse one line letter to the president saying, "Not just no, but hell no."

Video on Demand

VIDEO: Watch this story

Build your own newscast

Elizabeth Dole said she has "serious concerns" about the deal which should slow it down, but Bob Dole lobbies the Congress on behalf of the UAE government in Dubai.

“It's a matter of getting the information at this point,” Elizabeth Dole said.  “And as I say I do have serious concerns. We need to understand all the details, get all the facts on the table, and if when those facts are on the table and we understand the full implications if I feel there's a security concern then I will oppose it.”

When asked if her husband represents Dubai before Congress, Elizabeth Dole responded, “He has not talked with me about this.  And I believe his law firm, which has many, many clients, represents them and…as I say (he) has not mentioned it to me and so that's where it is.”

When asked, “Doesn't make a difference to you?”  Elizabeth Dole said, “He has not lobbied me on this.  He has not even spoken to me about this.”

The North Carolina Democratic Party called on Elizabeth Dole to rescue herself from port deal review because of her husband's lobbying.  In the meantime, North Carolina Republican Robin Hayes voiced his opposition to the UAE running the ports because of national security concerns.