They Hate Us Because Of Our Freedoms

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On Tuesday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told a Miami rally that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) sends "the worst possible signal to dictators" by his stated willingness to meet with leaders such as the Castro brothers in Cuba. In a White House speech yesterday, President Bush declared a "Day of Solidarity with Cuba," hosted relatives of Cuban political prisoners and announced he will open a small window in strict U.S. sanctions, allowing cellphones to be sent to the island.

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The White House this year put a new gloss on the criticism of Fidel Castro and the expressions of support for the Cuban people that it traditionally issues on May 20, which is Cuba's independence day. Early this month, the administration declared a new "Solidarity Day" on May 21, establishing a Web site and an international petition drive calling for Cuban democracy.

(snip)

Francisco J. "Pepe" Hernandez, president of the Cuban American National Foundation, called Bush's announcement "absurd." He urged the president instead to lift restrictions that limit Cuban Americans to one visit to the island every three years and to no more than $1,200 they can send to relatives annually.

Although cellular phones are on the lengthy U.S. list of items not allowed to be sent to Cuba, Hernandez said his organization and many others regularly ship them there. "With all due respect" to Bush, he said, "you can't eat cellphones."

The new "Solidarity" Web site, http://www.solidaridadcuba.org, listed a scattering of events scheduled yesterday in several European and Latin American countries, and two related Facebook pages, which as of yesterday evening featured approximately 300 fans.

Isn't that precious? King George is going to bend the rules just this once and out of the goodness of his born-again heart, allow supposedly free Americans, finally, at least for a while, however long King George declares it doesn't threaten the US of A, or the usually reliable Republican votes of the Cuban Exile community in Miami, to send cell phones to a tiny, inpoverished island a few miles to the south of us.

And yeah, while we're lecturing Cuba on the need to become more democratic our government has been busy for decades enacting great long lists of things that free Americans CAN'T send to Cuban relatives, friends, or to poor Cubans generally, and determining how often supposedly free Americans can travel to Cuba, a country which poses absolutely no threat to us.

What a retarded policy. A retarded policy, by the way, supported by Bush, McCain and Hillary Clinton. But a retarded policy opposed by Obama. Just sayin'.

And, oh, the "solidarity" website is quite a gas, isn't it?