Well, as has been written elsewhere, Bush has spent the last five years turning pretty much the entire Middle East into frightening boogey-men who want nothing more than to kill Americans. He really can't be surprised when the attitudes that he's spent so much effort cultivating come to the fore concerning this deal.
So, valid criticisms or not, that "knee jerk" reaction against Middle Eastern countries and people is the same one that the Republicans have been counting on for justification to pass the Patriot Act, spy on Americans without FISA oversight, and execute the war in Iraq. I guess you can't have it both ways...