POST SCRIPTS

Responding to the President’s remarks, Barack Obama said:

“The American people aren’t looking for more of a do-nothing Cuba policy that has failed to secure the release of dissidents, failed to bring democracy to the island, and failed to advance freedom for fifty years, because they know we need to pursue new opportunities to achieve liberty for the Cuban people. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will offer the clearest contrast to John McCain’s call for four more years of George Bush’s policies, because I want to fundamentally change our foreign policy to secure the American people and restore our standing in the world."

There’s that magic word “change” again. If Senator Obama feels this strongly about his ideas for “change”; if he really thinks he has the answer that will “fundamentally change” our relationship with leaders like Raul Castro, shouldn’t he just go on ahead and tell us about it? Wouldn’t he shout out his miraculaous plan, telling the American people what he could say to Raul Castro, for instance, that would make him swoon? Heck…if his plan really has that kind of power (or is it just his “presence”) why doesn’t he go on TV TODAY...address the whole world…maybe we’ll all swoon! Tah dah…world peace!! Why would someone withhold such a plan, sharing it only if he becomes the nominee? It just doesn't fly.

The United States of America has been dealing with Raul’s brother for about fifty years as Obama himself has acknowledged. We’ve seen presidents of both parties come and go and the dictator of Cuba remained unbending, and smirking, throughout each president's term…including the perpetually peacemaking Jimma Cahtah, a man who continues to delight in playing the patty cake game with tyrants, unsuccessfully, to this day.

We must elect a mature, thoughtful and serious president who understands, and has respect for the fact, that leaders of tyrannical nations don’t respond to “footsie”. We need a president who can grasp the basic nature of a man who would use a photo opportunity to make the leader of the United States of America look the fool in front of the whole world while elevating his own status with fellow thugs. It’s not as if men such as Fidel Castro have hidden their positions and practices from the world…in fact they have bragged, strutted and shaken their fists every chance they get while keeping their boots firmly on the necks of their citizens.

The party that claims to stand for peace, and claims to care about the rights of people around the world, sure loves to cozy up to the leaders of countries, and movements, with long terrible records of death, torture, and oppression of their people. They seem to miss the fundamental reality that these snakes cannot, and will not, be charmed…not even by the gracious, smiling and magnetic Barack Obama.