Bush's Plan to End Communism in Cuba Angers Kerry

NewsMax ^ | 5/7/04 | AP

[wagglebee]

WASHINGTON – Cuban President Fidel Castro usually offers an inviting target during U.S. presidential election campaigns. President Bush, accused by some in his party of not doing enough to confront Castro, offered them on Thursday what amounts to a policy of regime change in Cuba. "We're not waiting for the day of Cuban freedom, we are working for the day of freedom in Cuba," Bush told reporters.

A presidential commission recommended that the United States subvert the planned succession in Cuba under which power would pass from Castro to his younger brother, Raul.

Although Bush did not address that issue directly, an aide said the president generally accepted the commission's proposals.

Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry said Bush was playing election-year politics.

"Four years after candidate Bush came to Florida and promised Cuban-Americans the moon, all they've gotten from this president is lip service and broken promises," Kerry said in a statement.

Kerry pledged that, as president, he would fight full time for freedom and democracy on the island.

Bush has taken some steps to demonstrate his deep disregard for the Cuban leader, who turns 78 in August. But his comments Thursday seemed to add a new dimension to his belligerence.

Cuban-American Republican members of Congress said they were pleased. Five senators, including two Republicans, were not.

"Opening America's doors to Cuba - and challenging Cuba to open its doors to the rest of the world - will be an act of strength and magnanimity," they said in a letter to Bush.

Mexican President Vicente Fox, whom Bush counts as a major hemispheric ally, said in Mexico City that his government considered the proposal an infringement of Cuba's sovereignty.

"Mexico will not back in any way this proposal, which runs counter to Cuba's sovereignty, nor will we accept the interference of any other country there," Fox said.

Cuba and Mexico are themselves involved in a diplomatic spat. Mexico expelled Cuba's ambassador and called its ambassador home from Havana after accusing the Cubans of meddling in Mexico's internal affairs.

The commission, headed by Secretary of State Colin Powell, said the United States "rejects the continuation of a communist dictatorship" on the island.

The commission recommended measures in its report "to focus pressure and attention on the ruling elite so that a succession by this elite or any one of its individuals is seen as what it would be: an impediment to a democratic and free Cuba."

The 500-page report was made public after Bush discussed it with commission members at the White House.

A White House fact sheet listed several immediate actions ordered by Bush based on the report. He restricted family visits by Cuban-Americans to once every three years instead of the current one-per-year. He retained the $1,200-a-year limit on dollar transfers that Cuban-American families can send to the island.

He also restricted remittances and gift parcels to immediate family members. Recipients could not include "certain Cuban officials and Communist Party members."

Also, the authorized per-diem amount for a family visit was lowered to $50, compared with $164 now.

It was unclear how these restrictions would be enforced.

The plan under which Defense Minister Raul Castro would succeed his brother has been in place for years.

Fidel Castro is president of the council of state and of the council of ministers. Raul, who will turn 73 in June, is the first vice president of both councils.

"The Castro dictatorship is pursuing every means at its disposal to survive and perpetuate itself through a 'succession strategy' from Fidel Castro to Raul Castro and beyond," the commission said.

It was uncertain whether the question of subverting the succession plan is addressed in more detail in a classified section of the report.

[wagglebee]

Surprise, surprise, Kerry is a communist.

[admiralsn]

I'm sure it scares the bejeezus out of Kerry!

[nuconvert]

"We're not waiting for the day of Cuban freedom, we are working for the day of freedom in Cuba," Bush told reporters"

GOOD!

[nuconvert]

Pong

[Defender2]

My my, the reds(including kerry and his dimoCommiecRATS) are coming out of the closets in buckets!!!!

[Frank_2001]

Well of course, he has to stand up for his pal Fidel! The cover of the May 17th issue of National Review is apropos;)

[wagglebee]

I'm surprised Janet Reno hasn't gone and offered to be Castro's successor.

[Anti-Bush Hater]

www.judicialwatch.org/archive/2004/kerry.pdf

Careful this is an ADOBE ACROBAT link to 50 pages of FBI files on Kerry and the VVAW.

Kerry defending Castro. Kerry pretending to be JFK.
Has anyone heard of Kerry claiming to have served in Vietnam today?

[Reactionary]

What else is new? Whenever there's a despotic communist shithole, you can bet liberals will be terribly upset if it's overthrown.

[Anti-Bush Hater]

"WASHINGTON – Cuban *President* Fidel Castro"

Typical WaPo lie. He is a f*cking Dictator.

[no dems]

What does he plan to do? Am I missing something here?

[BOBWADE]

Why would the Dims be so opposed to the end of communism??
Oops, I guess they must be affiliated.

[GOP_Initiative]

Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry said Bush was playing election-year politics. "Four years after candidate Bush came to Florida and promised Cuban-Americans the moon, all they've gotten from this president is lip service and broken promises," Kerry said in a statement. Kerry pledged that, as president, he would fight full time for freedom and democracy on the island. That's all it says about Kerry. Kerry isn't supporting communism, but, like everything he does, is bashing every move Bush makes and saying that he'll do the same.

[Anti-Bush Hater]

AP-"Bush has taken some steps to demonstrate his deep disregard for the Cuban leader, who turns 78 in August. But his comments Thursday seemed to add a new dimension to his belligerence"

"Disregard" the Cuban "Leader"?

This a-hole has murdered well into the hundreds of thousands of Cubans from his collectivization program in the early 1960's to his cleaning out of prisons and death/labor camps etc.(Although apologists and fake lying "scholars" who can't count say otherwise).

"Belligerence"???

Horseshi*

[PhilDragoo]

"We're behind you, you've got to beat this guy, we need a new policy."

[SAMWolf]

The Left's love affair with Castro continues.

[watchin]

That's no suprise, though.


What IS a surprise, is that they said "President Bush" in the first paragraph.

It's typically "Mr. Bush" and "President Castro, Hussein, Stalin, etc."

[watchin]

Kerry wants to be a "president" just like Castro.

[wagglebee]

They also forgot to mention how the Cuban people "love" Castro, and how the Cuban health care system is so superior to ours that Hillary used it as a model before the "vast right wing conspiracy" ruined her plan for American utopia.

[nuconvert]

There are a lot of missing pieces.....but here's a few things mentioned.

"The commission recommended measures in its report "to focus pressure and attention on the ruling elite so that a succession by this elite or any one of its individuals is seen as what it would be: an impediment to a democratic and free Cuba."

The 500-page report was made public after Bush discussed it with commission members at the White House.

A White House fact sheet listed several immediate actions ordered by Bush based on the report. He restricted family visits by Cuban-Americans to once every three years instead of the current one-per-year. He retained the $1,200-a-year limit on dollar transfers that Cuban-American families can send to the island.

He also restricted remittances and gift parcels to immediate family members. Recipients could not include "certain Cuban officials and Communist Party members."

Also, the authorized per-diem amount for a family visit was lowered to $50, compared with $164 now."

Also, they supposed to start flying 3-130's over Cuba to allow the people to recieve RadioMarti (It's blocked by Fidel).
There should be more details coming out soon. This is a LONG report.