Fidel's Sooo Dreamy! Lee Reflects on Tender Reunion with Cuban Heartthrob

American Spectator ^ | April 8, 2009 | Matthew Vadum

[vadum]

After returning from a visit to Communist Cuba, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California) and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus were overflowing with praise for former Cuban President Fidel Castro, the Politico reports.

Hours after meeting with her idol in the class struggle, Lee, who chairs the liberal CBC, told reporters on Capitol Hill the tender reunion "was quite a moment to behold." Lee's been a friend of Cuba for years.

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois) was also filled with love. He said the retired dictator's home was modest and his wife hospitable. "It was almost like listening to an old friend," said Rush.

"In my household I told Castro he is known as the ultimate survivor," said the congressman, a co-founder of the Illinois Black Panther Party.

[...]

[Right Cal Gal]

There are just no words to describe these disgusting people - the fact that there are a greater number of people who not only applaud these actions but will send them back to Congress makes me sick.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Morons. Not a word for the Cubans he imprisoned or murdered.

[livius]

I heard part of this interview with the Black Caucus nitwits on the radio this afternoon when I was out in the car and I practically had to pull over to the side of the road to upchuck.

It was truly nauseating to hear these dumb people just fawning over this moth-eaten dictator in his “paradise” where people get about 1.5 hours of electricity a day and 2 eggs per week and have to listen to 4-8 hour speeches from Fidel (in the past) or Raul. Not to mention the living in fear part. Lee even told him that people in Cuba lived better than (black) people in her congressional district.

[skeeter]

Do we really want people who admire tyrants who murder & imprison their political opposition representing us in DC?

I guess some of us do.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

This is what these “caucus”; members are, this is what they do. These particular office holders have revealed their very nature. The question really being what are we going to do about this type of creature. Behold the fruits of tolerance, debate, discussion, different points of view etc. etc. “Tolerance” means “...the inability to take a stand, the inability to say yes or no...”- A Great Historian 1888. These people are a symptom of just how sick the Anglo American has become.

[ETL]

"Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., current head of the 42-member caucus, said at a news conference in Washington after the group's return that lawmakers met for nearly two hours with Fidel Castro and found him 'very healthy, very energetic, very clear thinking.'

Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., who also met Fidel with Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said Castro 'looked directly into our eyes' and asked how Cuba could help Obama in his efforts to change the course of U.S. foreign policy. Richardson said she had the impression that 82-year-old Fidel wants to see changes in U.S.-Cuba relations in his lifetime.

Raul Castro, added Lee, 'said everything was on the table.' ..."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090407/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_us
________________________________________________________

Roland Burris and Rep. Bobby Rush (speaking)
at a Chicago news conference announcing
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointment of
Burris to the U.S. Senate Dec. 30, 2008.
CBS
________________________________________________________

From David Horowitz's FrontPageMag.com/DiscoverTheNetworks.org:
PROFILE: BOBBY RUSH:

* Democratic Member of Congress

* Member of the radical Progressive Caucus

* In 1968, went AWOL from the U.S. Army

* Co-founder of the Illinois branch of the Black Panther Party

* In 1969, served six months in jail for an illegal weapons conviction

* Advocates reparations for African Americans

"Bobby Rush has described his involvement with the Black Panthers as part of his maturation process, as a youthful indiscretion that he abandoned immediately after Hampton's death. He described his role mostly as running the Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast for Children program.

But Bobby Rush served six months in jail for a 1969 illegal weapons conviction and, even after his release, in 1971 his comrades were still describing him as the 'Deputy Minister of Defense' for the Black Panther Party in Illinois. In 1992 the socialist magazine In These Times praised fledgling congressional candidate Rush, writing that he 'has continued to support progressive policies and has never disavowed his Panther past...."

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1198
________________________________________________________

From the Maoist Internationist Movement:
[1960s/original] Black Panther Party [BPP] Archives
From the article: REVOLUTIONARY HEROS

"On May 1st, May Day [1969], the day of the gigantic Free Huey rally, two of Alioto's top executioners vamped on the brothers from the Brown Community who were attending to their own affairs. These brothers, who are endowed with the revolutionary spirit of the Black Panther Party defended themselves from the racist pig gestapo.

Pig Joseph Brodnik received his just reward with a big hole in the chest. Pig Paul McGoran got his in the mouth which was not quite enough to off him.

The revolutionary brothers escaped the huge swarm of pigs with dogs, mace, tanks and helicopters, proving once again that "the spirit of the people is greater than the man's technology."

To these brothers the revolutionary people of racist America want to say, by your revolutionary deed you are heroes, and that you are always welcome to our camp."

Source: Maoist Internationist Movement
Article: REVOLUTIONARY HEROS (May 11, 1969):
http://web.archive.org/web/20041230150623/http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/bpp/index.html
________________________________________________________

Bobby Rush surrenders. Photo by Larry Graff,
December 6, 1969

Black Panthers spokesman Bobby Rush (second from right) surrenders to Renault Robinson (right), president of Afro-American Patrolman's League, following the Fred Hampton shooting. He was joined by Hampton's brother, William (left), and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Images © Chicago Sun-Times

http://www.suntimes.com/realchicago/1960s/57.html

[ETL]

Russian nuclear bombers in Cuba?
July 23, 2008

The media has been abuzz today at the prospect of Russian nuclear bombers being stationed in Cuba if the US goes ahead with plans for missile defense bases in Eastern Europe.

The story has riled the US enough that a US general has been wheeled out to tell the world’s press that any Russian attempt to build another nuclear base in Cuba would cross US “red line”.

The story broke earlier this week, when Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted an un-named source from within the Russian military. He told the Russian daily:

“While they are deploying the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, our strategic bombers will already be landing in Cuba.”

The quote hasn’t been independently confirmed, but the Russian Defense Ministry added fuel to the fire when they refused to comment on the story.

The prospect of Russian nuclear forces being stationed in Cuba - which is, after all, only 90 miles from the US coast - would bring back some rather unpleasant memories for the US of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, where the Soviet Union under Nikita Kruschev launched an audacious and foolhardy bid to station nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island.

http://www.siberianlight.net/2008/07/23/russian-nuclear-bombers-cuba/

[ETL]

Russia's Medvedev hails "comrade" Obama
Associated Foreign Press (AFP), April 2, 2009, Anna Smolchenko
"Russia's Dmitry Medvedev hailed Barack Obama as "my new comrade" Thursday after their first face-to-face talks"
http://www.france24.com/en/20090402-russias-medvedev-hails-comrade-obama
_____________________________________________________________

April 1, 2009:
"Obama, Medvedev pledge new era of relations":
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090401/wl_afp/usrussiadiplomacynuclear_20090401152002
_____________________________________________________________

"the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century" -Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the collapse of the Soviet Union...
"World democratic opinion has yet to realize the alarming implications of President Vladimir Putin's State of the Union speech on April 25, 2005, in which he said that the collapse of the Soviet Union represented the 'greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.'
http://www.hooverdigest.org/053/beichman.html

Photos are from the 2008 "Victory Day" parade in Moscow:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22russia%22%22parade%22%222008%22&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz2
_____________________________________________________________

From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html
_____________________________________________________________

[2009] Russia, China plan new joint military exercises

By MARTIN SIEFF, UPI Senior News Analyst
Published: March 26, 2009

WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) -- The continuing tensions over Russia's refusal to sell its state-of-the-art land warfare advanced weapons systems to China hasn't interrupted the rhythm of major joint military exercises between the two major land powers on the Eurasian landmass. The latest in the regular, biennial series of exercises between the two nations has been confirmed for this summer.

The next in the now well-established series of exercises called Peace Mission 2009 will be carried out in northeastern China, the Russian Defense Ministry announced March 18, according to a report carried by the RIA Novosti news agency.

The first bilateral Peace Mission maneuvers -- described at the time as counter-terrorism exercises -- were held in Russia and the eastern Chinese province of Shandong in August 2005. As we reported at that time, they were a lot bigger than mere counter-terrorism exercises. Warships, squadrons of combat aircraft and more than 10,000 troops were involved carrying out landings against hypothetically hostile shores. The maneuvers also involved large-scale paratroops drops. The scale and nature of those exercises suggested a trial run for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan with Russian support. ..."

http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/03/26/Russia_China_plan_new_joint_military_exercises/UPI-25021238094858/
_____________________________________________________________

From National Public Radio (NPR):
August 29, 2006
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been visiting countries such as China, Iran and Russia as part of an effort to build a 'strategic alliance' of interests not beholden to the United States. He considers the United States his arch enemy.":
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5729764
_____________________________________________________________

From the Russian News and Information Agency:
July 27, 2006
"'I am determined to expand relations with Russia,' Chavez, known as an outspoken critic of what he calls the United States' unilateralism, told the Russian leader, adding that his determination stemmed from their shared vision of the global order.":
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060727/51913498.html
_____________________________________________________________

Venezuela Set to Develop Nuclear Power With Russia
September 29, 2008
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Russia will help Venezuela develop nuclear energy — a move likely to raise U.S. concerns over increasingly close cooperation between Caracas and Moscow.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,429441,00.html
_____________________________________________________________

Venezuela's Chavez welcomes Russian warships
Nov 25, 2008
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela – Russian warships arrived off Venezuela's coast Tuesday in a show of strength aimed at the United States as Moscow seeks to expand its influence in Latin America. The deployment is the first of its kind in the Caribbean since the Cold War and was timed to coincide with President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Caracas — the first ever by a Russian president.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22Venezuela%27s+Chavez+welcomes+Russian+warships%22&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz2

More Yahoo search results for Russia and Venezuela connections:
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu_X30pZJCJEAfCtXNyoA?p=Russia+Venezuela+bombers+tanks+arms&y=Search&fr=404_news
_____________________________________________________________

From CBS-News:
July 29, 2006
"Chavez pledged that his country would 'stay by Iran at any time and under any condition,' state television reported. Ahmadinejad said he saw in Chavez a kindred spirit." "'We do not have any limitation in cooperation,' Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. 'Iran and Venezuela are next to each other and supporters of each other. Chavez is a source of a progressive and revolutionary current in South America and his stance in restricting imperialism is tangible.'":
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/29/world/main1847331.shtml
_____________________________________________________________

[Ax]

I left there in 1997 after four years in Havana. Mothers had to report to a milk point to get milk for their kids. Kids over age seven were not authorized a milk ration. I doubt if things have improved since then. They have to take their ration books to the state-run bakery to draw their daily bread rations. They have to take their ration books to the cooking oil store to get their cooking oil. They have to report to the rice store to collect their weekly rice ration. But it's not all bad! Every Cuban citizen gets a state-issued cake on his/her birthday.

I'm one of the few Americans ever to have been treated at CIMEQ (the Cuban Army Hospital); foreign diplomats, high ranking military officers and apparatchiks from the party were also treat there. Poor old Juan and Juanita had to take their chances in the local clinics. CIMEQ looked to be a fairly useful hospital, but all their equipment is old Soviet and east European.

Only the presence of Haiti keeps Cuba from being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

[Travis McGee]

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.”

~~Marcus Tullius Cicero

[Venturer]

Birds of a feather.

[allmendream]

Cuba is one of the most racist tyrannies on the planet.

Blacks make up a large portion of the population but are absolutely unseen in any of the good jobs or government positions.

Communism is slavery, but the light Spanish slaves are the house slaves, the darker Spanish slaves with Indian blood are straw bosses, and the black African slaves are field slaves.

That our Congressional black Caucus can go to Cuba and not even see the plight of those held not just under communism, but RACIST communism, is testament to their ideological blindness.

[Right Cal Gal]

I dare these jackasses to walk the heart of Little Havana and tell these people, most of whom risked their lives to get to America, how good they had it in Cuba.

I don’t suppose they dropped in on Elian Gonzales, by any chance, to see how he’s doing under Papa Fidel?

[Fast Moving Angel]

Tolerance and diversity: the two dirtiest words in the dictionary.

[yazoo]

These congresspeople are scum.

[livius]

But it's not all bad! Every Cuban citizen gets a state-issued cake on his/her birthday.

LOL! But I guess the nanny state should at least be able to whip up a little cake for its childrens' birthdays...granted, Cuba goes way beyond "nanny," but the principle is the same. The state makes some insultingly cheap and too-personal gesture that is supposed to make up for the lost freedom to do these things oneself.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

I heard the audio of these useful idiots, today. Everything they said was based on EMOTION....and NOTHING ELSE. Airheads.

[Ax]

Unfortunately, they can’t swap the free cake for a free vote. I hope they have that choice soon.

[Venturer]

The Black Congressional Caucus is made up of racial bigots who hate America and take every opportunity to low grade and diss it. This is just another typical attack by a group of racist bigots. Racists like Rush, a black panther member who spent time in jail, Rangel who hasnt paid his taxes. They were all elected from gerrymandered districts or city ghetto’s. What do you really expect?

[Right Cal Gal]

From these a******s? I expect NOTHING.
I’m never disappointed.