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Asner Defends Castro: "We Didn't Have a Free Election in 2002"
MRC ^ | Thursday, May 08, 2003 | BrentBaker

Posted on 05/08/2003 12:35:27 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay

Ed Asner sees a greater threat from the Bush administration than from the hapless Fidel Castro who is being pushed around unfairly. Defending Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover signing a letter denouncing the U.S. for threatening Cuba, Asner charged on Wednesday's Buchanan & Press on MSNBC that "they may well be put in prison here for...the support they're giving to Castro, the way things are going in this country."

Asner insisted that those put to death by Castro, for trying to hijack a ferry so they could escape to the U.S., received a "very fair" trial.

Blaming the U.S. for Castro's repressive regime, Asner insisted: "My country is much more fortunate so it can't, it doesn't have to afford the excesses that Fidel Castro has to resort to by constantly being embargoed by the United States."

Asner asserted that he doesn't "regard the Bush Administration as being representative of my country."

When Pat Buchanan noted that Castro "has denied" Cubans "free elections for 40 years," Asner fired back: "We didn't have a free election in 2002."

MRC analyst Ken Shepherd caught Asner's wackiness which occurred during the 3-4pm EDT edition of MSNBC's May 7 Buchanan & Press. The relevant portion:

Buchanan: "Mr. Asner, thanks for coming on and Ed, let me ask you about Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte who have co-signed this statement basically supporting Fidel Castro after he put 75 dissidents in prison for up to 28 years and executed the three who tried to sort of hijack a ferry boat and come to Cuba [meant U.S.]. What is it about these, Harry Belafonte, frankly, and Danny Glover that they can attack the American government and defend a guy who would basically put him in prison for doing what they do here in the United States?"

Asner: "Well, they may well be put in prison here for those, for the support they're giving to Castro, the way things are going in this country. I am opposed to capital punishment by any country, by any persons. I disapprove of Mr. Castro's executing. I understand that the trial was very fair, that the death penalty is exercised in Cuba and therefore, by Cuban standards, the trial was fair and judicious even though I abhor the death penalty."

Buchanan: "I want you to name individuals in this country who have made political statements criticizing President Bush who have been put into a penitentiary for five, ten, or twenty-five years like these dissidents who criticized Castro were put into prison. And is this not a real slander on your own country to suggest that it behaves in the same manner as Fidel Castro?"

Asner: "Uh, my country is much more fortunate so it can't, it doesn't have to afford the excesses that Fidel Castro has to resort to by constantly being embargoed by the United States."

Buchanan: "Why does he have to do this? Why does he have to do it?"

Asner: "Why does he have to do it? Because he feels the imminent threat of the Bush administration. I don't regard the Bush administration as being representative of my country."

A bit later Buchanan pointed out: "He has persecuted his own people, he has denied them free elections for 40 years. He's an unelected dictator who puts people in prison on his own whim. What is the infatuation?"

Asner interjected: "We didn't have a free election in 2002."

Buchanan: "Alright, what is the infatuation in Hollywood with Fidel Castro given the record of this fascist regime over 40 years?"

Asner blamed the U.S. for driving Castro to communism: "What is the, because when Castro first took over, we all celebrated enormously. Cuba, which was never supposed to be under the hegemony of the United States had finally found its freedom. Within a year, because of pressure by the United States, Fidel demonstrated his independence of the United States. The United States could not tolerate a little country, a little Hispanic country 90 miles off the United States declaring its independence of the United States so immediately embargoes, everything began to take place, forcing him into the sphere of Soviet influence."

Yeah, he was such a pro-freedom guy as a guerrilla fighter.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Cuba; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: asner; belafonte; buchanan; castro; cuba; edasner; glover; lougrantisaclymer; msnbc
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To: tracer; mabelkitty
Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice

tracer-I think that was meant to be taken as humor..or as on the same line of thinking/intellect as Asner.

61 posted on 05/08/2003 1:38:20 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay (occupied)
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To: The Brush
Way to go!
62 posted on 05/08/2003 1:43:18 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Iran will feel the heat from our Iraq victory!)
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To: fight_truth_decay
All I can say is "D-OH!!" and apologize for my lack of humor -- and comprehension..... 8~)
63 posted on 05/08/2003 1:46:17 PM PDT by tracer (/b>)
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To: Desparado
"He could have ended the Embargo at any time during the last forty years by simply giving the Americans back their property. But it has been more profitable all these years to play the victim. And that's the real TRUTH!!!"

Ain't it the truth. Another thing that is overlooked... Cuba has free trade with all countries of the world except the US. They shouldn't be affected by our embargo at all. Castro is a living lie...

64 posted on 05/08/2003 1:49:48 PM PDT by cibco (Xin Loi... Saddam)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Well he has a point. If we had had a free election, we would have had the military vote instead of the convict vote, dead vote, 115% of the reservation vote, after polls close vote, after states erroneously called for Gore vote, etc., etc. What a maroon.
65 posted on 05/08/2003 1:54:43 PM PDT by ntnychik
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To: fight_truth_decay
My reaction to Ed Asner is why can't we just get it on here and now. He wants a war in this nation and his rhetoric states that so lets fight it out. What does he obect to about the 2000 election the fact that Bush won fairly and squarely. It was a 7-2 decision of the Supreme Court that overruled the Florida Supreme Court and a 5-4 decision that refused to let the Supreme Court of Florida engage in any more shenanigans. It was only by not counting military ballots and trying to count fraudulent votes for Gore that gave the Demcrat Party a chance to win.
66 posted on 05/08/2003 2:05:48 PM PDT by harpseal (Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Asner and his ilk must absolutely HATE John F. Kennedy for his behavior toward Cuba.

They don't?

Because JFK was a Democrat?

Hmmmmm. . . smells like hypocrisy

67 posted on 05/08/2003 2:11:34 PM PDT by MEGoody
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To: fight_truth_decay
Asner forgets the US Supreme Court told Florida it had to count ALL the votes, not just the Democratic districts Gore wanted re-counted. Court also told Florida if they recounted all the votes, they had to use the same standard in each district with regard to dimpled and hanging chads.

The Florida Supreme Court decided not to recount all the votes, but it was their decision.

Additionally, since the election five major news organizations have recounted ALL the votes in Florida and President Bush still won.

68 posted on 05/08/2003 2:12:30 PM PDT by Peach
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To: fight_truth_decay
unfortunately Assner is suffering from acute senility and should be briefly hospitalized to undergo the leftists favorite demise for old folks: euthanasia.
69 posted on 05/08/2003 2:20:11 PM PDT by LuisBasco
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To: amused
And the Left in this country insists on a super duper special due process requirement before murderers can be executed but praises Fidel Castro's fast track execution procedure for anti-government opponents. I guess I am missing something here and perhaps someone on FR can clue me in on what that is.
70 posted on 05/08/2003 2:31:18 PM PDT by goldstategop ( In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop
I guess I am missing something here and perhaps someone on FR can clue me in on what that is.

That's easy. People that the people's democracy of Cuba condemns to death are rotten scoundrels. People that the fascist government of the United States condemns to death are heroic freedom-fighters.

71 posted on 05/08/2003 2:42:30 PM PDT by aristeides
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To: goldstategop
And the Left in this country insists on a super duper special due process requirement before murderers can be executed but praises Fidel Castro's fast track execution procedure for anti-government opponents. I guess I am missing something here and perhaps someone on FR can clue me in on what that is.

I think is starts with an "H" and ends with a "Y" but I could be wrong ;-)

72 posted on 05/08/2003 2:44:07 PM PDT by amused (Republicans for Sharpton!)
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To: dead
I've been thinking he has Alzheimer's, and this adds more ammunition to that possibility.
73 posted on 05/08/2003 3:29:14 PM PDT by EggsAckley ( Midnight at the Oasis)
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To: Billthedrill
Ed was probably thinking about the last union/guild election.
74 posted on 05/08/2003 4:16:13 PM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: fight_truth_decay
Asner asserted that he doesn't "regard the Bush Administration as being representative of my country."

I cannot post the first description of Asner that came to my mind, but it rhymes with 'quick duck' and the first word is 'sick.'

75 posted on 05/08/2003 4:18:57 PM PDT by Petronski (I'm not always cranky.)
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To: anoldafvet
Ed Asner is one of left wing lunatics who think the 2002 elections were rigged by the voting machines.
76 posted on 05/08/2003 4:19:08 PM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant".)
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To: sbw123
"wait, how is the government you purpose any different then that of the Nazis?"

Remember, don't say Nazi's, use the full name "national socialist workers party", watch them just flip, its funny as hell.

77 posted on 05/08/2003 4:21:25 PM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant".)
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To: Desparado
Actually, after he came in, we gave humanitarian aid (money), then he turned and nationalized everything.
78 posted on 05/08/2003 4:23:28 PM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant".)
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To: MEGoody
Dirty little secret, and a lot of dems admit under there breath with a disclaimer. They liked some of his politics, but in general disagreed with most of it, but they believe that if he had lived, he would have taken a ted kennedy like turn, and he was forced to do some of the things he did because of "the evil republicans",.
79 posted on 05/08/2003 4:27:18 PM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant".)
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To: Paul Atreides
Good question. I think it is because we are amazed at the lack of gratitude to the country that has enriched these non-talents. Reminds me of when Billy Joel divorced Kristy Brinkley because she was ugly.
80 posted on 05/08/2003 4:52:22 PM PDT by stop_fascism
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