DNC legacy
Posted on 10/24/2007 2:29:35 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Republican Leadership Wrong on Cuba
October 24, 2007
WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush delivered a speech today on Cuba policy after almost eight years of offering Cuban Americans empty promises, having repatriated some 8,000 Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro regime during his tenure. [New York Times, 10/23/07; AP, 10/24/07; New York Sun, 1/18/06]
The President's too little, too late speech also comes after his would-be successors in the Republican Party have left a less than favorable impression after tripping over their own feet while trying to court the Cuban American community in Florida. Mitt Romney has quoted Castro and promoted unflattering stereotypes, Fred Thompson has accused Cuban refugees of bringing suitcase bombs but defended the fact he smokes illegal Cuban cigars, and Rudy Giuliani has sent the community mixed messages.
"If the bumbling efforts of the Republican presidential candidates are any indication, another Republican Administration would be just as irrelevant on Cuba as the Bush Administration has been," said Democratic National Committee Spokesman Luis Miranda. "The Republican Record is one of failure, not just on Cuba issues, but for continuing to promote policies that would hurt the Cuban American community like threatening to privatize Social Security and vetoing health care for our nation's children. On Cuba, where we all stand united to help the Cuban people achieve freedom and democracy, as well as on domestic issues, the Cuban American people deserve more than empty promises."
Some of the highlights from this year's Republican presidential candidates include:
Fred Thompson
Thompson Says Cubans Fleeing the Castro Regime Would Bring Suitcase Bombs Into the US. During a speech, Thompson "decried the flow of illegal immigrants from Cuba,saying: 'I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb.'" [Associated Press, 6/27/07]
Thompson OK Smoking "illegal" Cuban stogies. "In a Political Connections interview airing...on Bay News 9, Thompson brushed off the apparent contradiction between the embargo and his fondness for Cuban stogies. 'If I have a friend that occasionally passes me a cigar, I don't check its heritage,' he said. 'You know, if it's good, I smoke it.' Miami-Dade Democratic chairman Joe Garcia questioned whether law-and-order voters will embrace a candidate 'who smokes something illegal.'"
Mitt Romney
"Empty Suit" Romney Embraces Castro Rhetoric. Romney triggered outrage in Miami by quoting Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's traditional sign-off line "patria o muerte, venceremos" - a "Communist rallying cry" which means "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome." The incident and Romney's woeful explanation of it prompted one local activist to call him an "empty suit," while others criticized his lack of preparation on Cuban issues. [Miami Herald, 3/20/07; Boston Herald, 3/21/07]
Romney Response Worsens Scandal, Claimed Castro Phrase Belongs to "Free Cuba." Scholars and prominent Cubans said "Patria o muerte, venceremos" has always been a Communist rallying cry and that it represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Florida state-Representative Rene Garcia said, "It means communism. It means Fidel Castro. It's a Communist catch phrase." However, Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, "The phrase belongs to liberators, not oppressors. It doesn't belong to Fidel Castro. It doesn't belong to Hugo Chavez. It belongs to a free Cuba." Garcia said Romney was "ill-advised" to mention the saying, especially at the epicenter of the Cuban-American struggle. Garcia said, "When you come into our community, you should be a little better-prepared." He added that Romney's comments "left a negative taste with local officials." [Boston Herald, 3/20/07]
Romney Offended Cuban Americans with Stereotypical Comments. Romney delivered a speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party that was heavy on anti-communist rhetoric but full of errors. First, he condemned the Venezuelan president who has embraced Castro. Romney said, ''Hugo Chávez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase -- Patria o muerte, venceremos. It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba.'' Actually, the quote belongs to Castro who is abhorred in the Cuban American community. The quote, for many Cuban Americans, represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Then, "he punctuated his speech with 'Libertad, libertad, libertad!' to show his support for freedom in Cuba. But to some, he was echoing a line from Scarface, a movie notorious for its stereotyped portrayal of Cuban immigrants." [Miami Herald, 3/19/07]
Rudy Giuliani
Rudy's Mixed Messages. During a recent visit to Miami, Rudy Giuliani "repeated his mantra that Fidel and Raúl Castro are 'tyrants and thugs.'" At the same event, "asked if he would push for a grand jury indictment of the ailing Castro and his brother...Giuliani did not go as far as saying there should be a grand jury convened." Asked why he didn't say the same things "to Spanish-speaking voters when he was invited to debate on Univision, [Giuliani] said he had so many debate invitations he just couldn't fit it." [AP , 10/19/07; Miami Herald, 10/24/07]
Really? There is nothing, absolutely nothing from the DNC that I would trust or believe. This is an obviuos attempt to pander to Cubans in America.
Great to see the DNC working to deliver FL to the GOP in 2008.
If we trade with Red China, we can trade with Cuba.
Elian
The DNC never has met a socialist they didn’t love.
AS ALWAYS... dims side with evil.
LLS
DNC legacy
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