Cuban democracy advocates address the Black Caucus that went to Cuba

[anothersta]

It's about time someone challenge them! What kindof an idiot thinks Castro is going to show them what's REALLY going on?

Oh yeah, I know one. Michael Moore.


Cuban democracy advocates went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to call on three members of the Congressional Black Caucus who recently met with Fidel and Raul Castro to also address human rights concerns on the island.

Berta Antunez delivered a letter from her longtime civil rights activist brother accusing Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Bobby Rush D-Ill., and Laura Richardson, D-Calif., of being "insensitive" to their cause during a trip to Cuba last month because they didn't meet with any dissidents.

"It is ironic that individuals such as yourselves, who have been elected to your positions through a democratic system, and who enjoy all human rights, do not wish the same for the Cuban people," the letter read.

"It is undignified to use prerogatives that for us are inaccessible, such as to traveling to and from one's homeland, having an opinion without fear of persecution, or associating with others who share similar interests, and then to ignore the victims of oppression in Cuba," the letter added.

Antunez, who was joined by fellow activist Anolan Ponce on Wednesday, is the sister of famed Cuba civil rights advocate Jorge Luis Garcia Perez Antunez, who served 18 years in prison for protesting the regime.

Lee, Richardson, and Rush were part of a six-member delegation that traveled to Cuba in April and called for improved U.S.-Cuban ties and met with the Castro brothers.

Upon arrival at Lee's office, Berta Antunez and Ponce met with a legislative aide for the California lawmaker.

"I came to deliver a letter to the congresswoman from my brother which expresses the insult of the pro-democracy movement on the island that just kilometers away from where they were meeting with Fidel and Raul Castro that my brother and other pro-democracy activists in Cuba were being assaulted with tear gas and were being subjected to the most repressive activity," Berta Antunez said through a translator following the meeting.

"It was almost a slap in the face to the pro-democracy and human rights movement on the island," she added.

A spokesman for the CBC did not respond to a request for an interview.

The letter questioned whether the black lawmakers had abandoned their commitment to social justice.

"When we recall the fight and integrity of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, without whom you would still be giving up your seat on the bus and would not have the right to vote, we ask ourselves if the legacy of those who conquered the space of opportunity that you enjoy today, has been reserved only for political speeches and has ceased to be a commitment of your generation to justice and truth," the letter continued.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/06/cuban-activists-decry-black-lawmakers-meeting-castro/

[Jolie Rouge]

Race-baiter Rep. Diane Watson praises Cuban health system, Castro & Guevara who “kicked out the wealthy”
August 28, 2009 04:03 PM

Longtime readers of this blog will be quite familiar with race-baiting Democrat Rep. Diane Watson of California.

She attacked Ward Connerly for marrying a white woman.

She bragged about Washington, D.C. being a “chocolate city.”

She polluted the Hurricane Katrina aftermath with race card-playing nonsense.

Thanks to KABC, there’s audio of Watson heaping praise on Castro, Guevara, and the Cuban health system at her town hall meeting last night — as well as injecting her usual racial poison into the health care debate. (For a reminder of what Cuban health care is really like, click here.)

I wrote up a transcript of her remarks. Bring an airsickness bag before reading:


WATSON: You might have heard their philosophical leader. I think his name is Rush Limbaugh. And he said early on, “I hope that he fails.”

Do you know what that means? If the president, your commander-in-chief, fails, America fails.

Now, when a senator says that this will be his Waterloo, and we all know what happened at Waterloo, then we have him and he fails. Do we want a failed state called the United States?

And remember: They are spreading fear and they are trying to see that the first president that looks likes me fails.

Now just understand what’s at the bottom line.

And you know we just got, 48 hours ago, we just go back, we were in Beijing, China, Hong Kong, China, we were in Taiwan, we were in Guam, we were all over the Far East.

I just want you to know: People look at the United States as a country that has changed its way and has elected someone from Kenya and Kansas, I’ll put it like that.

And they’re saying, “We thought you would never do that.”

So we don’t want to have this young man, and he just turned 48 — we want him to succeed, because when he succeeds, we regain our status. We regain our status.

It was just mentioned to me by our esteemed speaker, “Did anyone say anything about the Cuban health system?”

And lemme tell ya, before you say “Oh, it’s a commu–”, you need to go down there and see what Fidel Castro put in place. And I want you to know, now, you can think whatever you want to about Fidel Castro, but he was one of the brightest leaders I have ever met. [APPLAUSE]

And you know, the Cuban revolution that kicked out the wealthy, Che Guevara did that, and then, after they took over, they went out among the population to find someone who could lead this new nation, and they found…well, just leave it there (laughs), an attorney by the name of Fidel Castro…



http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/28/race-baiter-democrat-rep-diane-watson-praises-cuban-health-system-castro-guevara-who-kicked-out-the-wealthy/

Ahem—did Watson mention that Castro doesn’t let Cubans leave Cuba????

..or that when he needed bigtime surgery, he went to SPAIN to get it??

At what point do people stop putting up with blatant ignorance and racism such as this? Stop whining about white racism against any minority until something is done about this kind of blatant and public racism.

How is it that people like this keep getting elected ??

Is it possible that people in her district need government largess? Check her Census data which also compares against the National average.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/elections/keyraces/census/ca/district-35/

I don’t see much here that would validate why they have to have such an idiot for a congressperson other than the families and individuals below the poverty level are higher than the national average.



Families
Her district 23.2 National 9.2

Individuals
Her district 26.4 National 12.4

She is an 8 term congresswoman.

Hows that working out for you District 35?

But shes making money for somebody:


Though Waters has never been indicted, and the accusations apparently did not affect political career, she has faced corruption allegations related to her local and family connections. In 2005, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington listed her as one of the “13 most corrupt members of Congress,” citing a December 2004 Los Angeles Times investigation that revealed that Waters’ family members made more than $1 million over eight years doing business with companies, candidates and causes that she endorsed or assisted...


A culture of poverty and corruption.

[pepperpot]

How is it that people like this keep getting elected ??
:shrug :headshake

[Jolie Rouge]

Cuba visitors must have travel health insurance
By Will Weissert, Associated Press Writer 31 mins ago

HAVANA – Cuba has quietly begun requiring foreign tourists and Cubans who live overseas to hold travel insurance approved by island authorities, while making those who don't have coverage buy a local policy that can cost over $3 a day.

The new law took effect Saturday and mandates that travelers who can't show they have authorized insurance buy a policy from state-run Cubatur before being allowed into the country.

A Cubatur kiosk at Havana's airport sold 113 policies on the first day alone, Ricardo Lopez, a Cubatur office manager, said Monday.

The measure was made law in February, but there had been no mention of how it would be implemented. A government spokeswoman said officials were still waiting for details Friday night, hours before the law took effect.

Lopez provided a government document explaining that kiosks selling health insurance had been established in international airports across Cuba. They accept U.S. or Canadian dollars, euros, British pounds and Swiss francs — though all prices are set in Cuban convertible pesos, pegged at US$1.08.

A policy covering medical expenses up to 7,000 pesos, or $7,560, costs between 2 and 3 pesos ($2.16-$3.24) a day, depending on an array of factors. Travelers 70 or older or those planning to engage in high-risk activities will have to pay an unspecified additional premium.

Lopez said he had not seen a list of what kinds of insurance was approved and from which countries, but said he had been told Cuba will accept state or private insurance from any country except the United States, given Washington's 48-year trade embargo.

He said all foreigners — except diplomats and those who live here while working for oversees companies — would be required to show proof of insurance. But enforcement appears spotty.

Interviews with five passengers getting off a flight from Toronto on Monday found that none had been asked to show insurance. A passenger who arrived earlier from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and one who came from Mexico City on Saturday also said no one asked them to show proof of insurance.

A record 2.4 million foreigners came to Cuba last year, with Canada the largest source, followed by Britain, Spain, Italy and France.

Like communist Cuba, all those countries provide their citizens with health care financed totally by taxes, and often reimburse the cost of care during overseas travel. Still, Canada is recommending its citizens visiting Cuba purchase supplemental health insurance.

A Canadian government travel advisory says that "your provincial plan may cover only part of the costs and will not pay the bill upfront, as required."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100503/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_health_insurance/print;_ylt=Ap82P8XHDNQDZFHZdXCqbpO9IxIF;_ylu=X3oDM TBvajZzaTFyBHBvcwMxNQRzZWMDdG9wBHNsawNwcmludA--

[gmyers]

It shows that racism goes both ways.

[Jolie Rouge]

Rep. Allen West Threatens to Resign From Congressional Black Caucus
By Larry Elder – 7 hrs ago

The tea party, according to Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, would "love to see us as second-class citizens" ... and "some of them in Congress right now with this tea party movement would love to see you and me ... hanging on a tree." Of the tea party's influence on Congress, Carson called it an "effort that we're seeing of Jim Crow." Another CBC member, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said, "The tea party can go straight to hell."

This was too much for Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., the only Republican member of the CBC. Another black Republican, Tim Scott, R-S.C., pointedly declined to even join the CBC. Given the hard-left views of the CBC, one wonders why West joined in the first place. West, presumably, thought he might change the CBC's "blame whitey" approach to the problems and concerns of black Americans.

West wrote a letter to the chairman of the CBC, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., to denounce the comments by Carson and Waters: "I believe it is incumbent on you to both condemn these types of hate-filled comments, and to disassociate the Congressional Black Caucus from these types of remarks. Otherwise I will have to seriously reconsider my membership within the organization."

Insert laughter. :rofl: :rofl:

Does West really think the CBC intends to condemn racial rhetoric, the very rhetoric CBC members routinely use? Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., a founding member of the CBC, said of the 1994 GOP House: "It's not 'spic' and '******' anymore. They say, 'Let's cut taxes.'" Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., another founding member, was once asked why a largely Arab area outside of Detroit flourished economically, while a mostly black area nearby continued to suffer. "Racism," said Conyers.

Does West really think the CBC cares whether West wants to "seriously reconsider" his CBC membership? In the '90s, another black Republican, Rep. Gary Franks, R-Conn., joined the CBC over the objection of other CBC members. Because of Franks' opposition to race-based preferences, CBC member Rep. William Clay, D-Mo., said, "It would probably be better for all concerned if you did resign ... admitting you never should have joined the ranks of black legislators who fight to protect the rights of black people."

West represents a direct threat to the CBC's worldview — that the problems of "Black America" stem from racism, and more government spending remains the answer. How racist is a country that elected a black man as president with a greater share of the white vote than either John Kerry in 2004 or Al Gore in 2000?

Waters, the California CBC member, before the recession demanded that banks lend to "underrepresented" borrowers — even if the applicant could not come up with a down payment: "We ought to be encouraging our financial institutions to have more products where you have no down payments. When you look at the philosophy behind down payments, it just does not make any sense anymore. There are people who will never have a down payment (saved), who make their rental payments on time, and they would be just fine if they could get a (mortgage)."

Then came the crash. On what does the CBC now blame for the higher-than-national-average black unemployment and the number who face foreclosure? Racism, of course.

"The black community is experiencing a great recession," said CBC member Frederica Wilson, D-Fla. "And all of the growth in the past 30 years, we see it slipping away. From home ownership, the middle class; it's slipping away from our hands. And it has a lot to do with ... racism."

Meanwhile, Rep. Carson stood by his tree-hanging comments. "The tea party," said his spokesman, "is protecting its millionaire and oil company friends while gutting critical services that they know protect the livelihood of African-Americans, as well as Latinos and other disadvantaged minorities. We are talking about child nutrition, job creation, job training, housing assistance and Head Start, and that is just the beginning. A child without basic nutrition, secure housing and quality education has no real chance at a meaningful and productive life."

Carson is right: A child needs basic nutrition, secure housing and quality education. This is the job of the parents. People have no business breeding if he and she cannot provide these basic needs. The question that Allen West uncomfortably brings up is whether the "anti-poverty" policies endorsed by the CBC, including public welfare, actually encourage bad behavior by subsidizing and rewarding it.

Public policy expert James Q. Wilson said to avoid poverty one must do three things: finish high school, delay marrying until after the age of 20 and marry before having a child. West believes CBC policies create perverse incentives to do the opposite.

Is the CBC rattled by West's threat to leave to the point of reconsidering some of its policies? Please. "Rep. West," members will happily say, "don't let the door hit you on your way out."

Lhttp://news.yahoo.com/rep-allen-west-threatens-resign-congressional-black-caucus-070000037.html

comments

Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., the only Republican member of the CBC should have never joined the CBC. This is the year 2011, America has a Black President and the Congressional Black Caucus is still stuck on stupid talking about race and the problems of racism. Let's change the discussion in that group to individualism and personal responsibility, or about each person seeking to become self reliant, or seeking solutions to many of the social ills that plague everyone. Yes, there is racism out there in America, it is your jobs to make sure that it does not come from government. Just focus on your jobs and protect individual rights, all individuals, and the group will be just fine because a group be it Black, White, Asian or Latin is nothing more than a collection of individuals. The group that you should truly be apart of and not separate from is the one you were voted into: CONGRESS! Why is there a "Black" Caucus Anyway? If you guys don't have your act together enough as Congressmen to show solidarity as one group, then how can you lead a fragmented country? We are looking at a fragmented Government; which came first; The chicken or the egg? Fragment Government or fragment people?

~~

The CBC is racist by nature.....Good call by West and Scott.

~~~

West doesn't care about "black issues' ie: playing the Blame Game and playing the Race Card... He's not part of the club.

~~~

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s goal was for all black men to be like Colonel West - true equals in our society, who "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Just saying...

~~

I am sorry to say but maxine waters does not need to be in office any where in this country or in another one. This so called lady just influenced a lot of children to hate a party of people. Abraham Lincoln once said a Nation divided amongst it self will not survive. Where did he get this saying you might ask. he did not make it up! It came from the good old Book called The Bible. This woman just caused a lot of people to feel hate for another group of people as I have stated. A grown woman does not stand before congress or any where else and say another group can just go to hell how lame is that. It shows how far she has come doesn't it. I would not want her any where around my children or grand children. She sounds like a woman full of hate her self. Shame on her and shame on the other members of congress that allowed her words to go out. Keep God in America because with this kind of talk coming out we are going to need Him. God Bless America again

~~

They spend all day long fanning the fires of hatred and discontent. They want to keep blacks dependent on them for everything, which keeps them in power. Too bad for blacks that the wrong one is going out the door.

~~

Maybe there should be a White Congressional Caucus, but if such a group was organized you would hear such a scream from blacks in Congress it could be heard all the way to the west coast. They don't want blacks to have equality -- they want blacks to be more than equal, have special rights and receive special treatment. Equality they already have, but if they want success and respect they will have to earn it just like everyone else. Those things cannot be given, they must be earned. No person, black or white, will ever have much respect or success when they live off of the government with money collected from those who work and pay taxes.

~~

If a white would say these things they would be called racist,but the ignorant blacks can say it and it is okay. There is a double standard by which this country is ruled. The communist,socialist leaders and media is to blame.

[Jolie Rouge]

]September 6, 2011 at 9:44 pm by FPP
Video Game Allows Players to Slay Tea Party Conservatives

Have you ever fantasized about beating Bill O’Reilly to death with a crowbar or shooting up the offices of Americans for Prosperity with an Uzi? Well, the folks at StarvingEyes Advergaming apparently have and they’d like to share their latest creation with the world. The game is called “Tea Party Zombies Must Die” and, apart from abysmal game play, features several different levels where your only objective is to mercilessly slaughter everyone around you whether they are a Fox News stars or simply Americans For Prosperity employees.

Among the notable conservatives who you are tasked with brutally killing are Sarah Palin, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich, Brit Hume, Michele Bachmann, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Glenn Beck, and the Koch Brothers. Check out just how graphic things get in our exclusive video of the game play.

Of course there are plenty of lesser targets to mindlessly butcher like the “factory made blonde Fox News barbie who has never had a problem in her life zombie” or the “Koch industries Koch Whore lobbyist pig zombie”. The names are as creative as they are classy. Kind of like the game itself.

http://www.frontporchpolitics.com/2011/09/video-game-allows-players-to-slay-tea-party-conservatives/

cemments

What would happen if the zombies being killed were obama and his minions. How long do you think that game would last for sale? Imagine if it was the cbc or muslims!


What if Congressional Black Caucus Were Accused of Wanting Jews Gassed?


Imagine a Jewish Congress member accusing the members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) of wanting to see Jews gassed. How would any decent American — on the right or left — describe such a statement? Loathsome? Morally reprehensible? An obvious lie?

All three descriptions would be entirely accurate.

Next question: How much media exposure would that slander be given?

Would it make the front page of The New York Times​ and The Washington Post​? Would we read ferocious editorials from coast to coast? Would the story lead on TV newscasts?

Correct on all three, again.

Final question: Would said congressman be allowed to stay in office?

We all know the answer to that one, too.

So here’s a real question: If a black congressman charged that members of Congress who support the tea party “would love to see you and me (blacks) hanging from a tree,” what’s the difference between that libel and the made-up libel about the CBC wanting to see Jews gassed?

http://www.frontporchpolitics.com/2011/09/what-if-congressional-black-caucus-were-accused-of-wanting-jews-gassed/

comments

Why is there a black Miss America competition when they can enter the real Miss America contest ? Why is there a black NCO organization when they are welcome in The NCO oorganization ? Why is there a congressional black caucaus but no white congressional caucaus ? The answer to all these questions is the same , to keep rascism alive .

~~~

If we do something that is not liked by the Black Caucus then were raciest and should be put in jail or sued till were broke.
But when they do the exact same thing it becomes a minorities Rights to do so and were told to shut up and sit down there is no reverse discrimination going on here.

~~~

Here is a small list of black peoples’ organizations:

NAACP : This organization, based in Baltimore, MD, is the oldest black organization that fights for civils rights and equal opportunity.

National Urban League (NUL) : This black organization empowers and encourages African Americans to be active in the political and professional arena.

Rainbow Push Coalition : This black organization, led by Jesse Jackson, fights for equal rights for minorities, women, and gays/lesbians.

100 Black Men of America : Working to improve the quality of life within the African American community. Based in Atlanta, Georgia

African American Planning Commission (AAPC) : Addresses issues of homelessness (domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, housing shortage, and unemployment) within the communities in which we live and serve. Based in Brooklyn, New York

African American Speaker Bureau (AASB) : This organization is dedicated to the representation of people and projects that address the issues, concerns and celebrations of the African American community. Based in San Francisco, California

Be Someone, Inc. : Uses numerous tools, including the game of chess, to promote self-esteem, responsibility, and analytical thinking amoung at-risk kids. Based in Atlanta, Georgia

Black Culinarians Alliance (BCA) : A nationwide non-profit, educational and networking organization of hospitality and food service professionals. Based in New York, New York

Blacks In Government (BIG) : Promotes equity in all aspects of life, and excellence in public service. Based in Washington, DC

Black Women In Sisterhood For Action (BISA) : Develops and promotes alternative strategies for educational and career development of black women. Based in Washington, DC

Jack and Jill of America : A family organization that provides cultural, social, civic and recreational activities that stimulate and expand the mind to enhance life. Based in Washington, DC

Miss Black USA : Provides educational opportunities to outstanding young women of color and to develop the whole woman mind, body, and spirit. Based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

National Action Council For Minorities in Engineering (NACME) : Offers support to African Americans and other minorities who want to pursue careers in engineering, technology, math and science. Based in White Plains, New York

National Action Network : This organization, led by Al Sharpton ,promotes a modern civil rights agenda that includes just and decency for all people regardless of race, social justice for communities, and the improvement of race relations. Based in New York, New York

National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) : Works to increase the number of African-Americans owning, developing, managing and operating hotels; increase vendor opportunities & executive level jobs for minorities. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Floria

National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) : The leader in expanding the influence of minority professionals in the fields of accounting and finance. Based in Greenbelt, Maryland

National Association of Blacks In Criminal Justice (NABCJ) : Provides leaders dedicated to improving the administration of criminal justice, with a goal of achieving equal justice for blacks and other minorities. Based in Durham, North Carolina

National Association of Market Developers (NAMD) : Cultivates the aspects of the Black experience that can produce results for both the African-American community and institutions, private and public. Based In Plainfield, New Jersey

National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) : Improves and protects the lives of African American children. Based in Washington, DC

National Registry of Black Baby Names : Largest online collection of names that African American and African parents can choose for their unborn child. Based in Columbus, Ohio.

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) : One of the largest student-managed organizations in the country that focuses on increasing the number of Black engineers who excel academically and in the workplace. Based in Fairfax, Virginia

[Jolie Rouge]

Cleaver: If Obama wasn't president, we would be ‘marching on the White House’
By Alicia M. Cohn - 09/18/11 03:48 PM ET

Unhappy members of the Congressional Black Caucus “probably would be marching on the White House” if Obama were not president, according to CBC Chairman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). "If [former President] Bill Clinton had been in the White House and had failed to address this problem, we probably would be marching on the White House," Cleaver told “The Miami Herald” in comments published Sunday. "There is a less-volatile reaction in the CBC because nobody wants to do anything that would empower the people who hate the president." http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/18/v-fullstory/2413197/black-caucus-head-treads-line.html

CBC members have expressed concern in recent months as the unemployment rate has continued to rise amongst African-Americans, pushing for Obama to do more to address the needs of vulnerable communities. "We’re supportive of the president, but we getting tired, y’all,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said in August. “We want to give [Obama] every opportunity, but our people are hurting. The unemployment is unconscionable. We don’t know what the strategy is."

Rather than targeting Obama’s leadership, many CBC members aimed their fire at the Tea Party movement over the summer’s congressional recess. Waters said in a public meeting in her district that the Tea Party "can go straight to hell." Another member, Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), called the Tea Party “the real enemy” seeking to hold Congress “hostage.”

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), the only Republican member of the CBC and also a member of the Tea Party Caucus, objected to hostile language used by members targeting the Tea Party movement and threatened to leave the caucus unless Cleaver condemned remarks made by other members. West singled out comments from Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.), the CBC’s whip, who said that Tea Party-affiliated members of Congress see African-Americans as "second-class citizens" and would be happy to see them "hanging from a tree."

Cleaver persuaded West to remain a member of the caucus, with West indicating later that one reason he decided to stay was that the CBC membership needed a conservative presence. “I will not be resigning from the Congressional Black Caucus,” West wrote on his Facebook following a meeting with Cleaver at the beginning of September. “Cowards run from challenges, while warriors run to the sound of battle.”

According to West, he is working with Cleaver to produce a plan to confront the rate for unemployment amongst African-Americans, which at 16.7 percent is nearly double the rate nationwide. Cleaver acknowledged that some of the things members of his caucus say might not be in the best interests of the “aggressive agenda” he said he is seeking to develop as chairman. “Maxine Waters represents central Los Angeles first and she has to represent her constituents first and she's going to say things in order to represent them,” he said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/182209-cbc-chairman-if-obama-wasnt-in-office-we-would-be-marching-on-white-house

comments

So in other words, they would march on Washington if the President was white, but not if he is black. What a bunch if hypocritical racists. And they expect the country who is striving to overcome racism to tolerate their down with whitey rhetoric? Censor every one of them I say for their racist remarks.

....

And it gets worse. He absolutely can't do anything that will help only the black community and we all know it. It is precisely because of statements like those made in this article that it would be a waste of Obama's rapidly dwindling political capital to boost his support in a community that he know will vote 85% plus for him, no matter how bad it gets. They basically sold all of their power to Obama very cheaply back in 08, with no way to get it back as long he is president.

...

So lets get this straight..they are not marching on the white house, because a black man is there, but if it were a white man, they would be marching on the white house? how racist is that? where is obamas attack dogs for something like this…what the heck is a black caucus anyways? is there a caucus for every race or is it only for "special people"? sheeesh this is the worst case of racism that I have ever seen…

...

You can't fix stupid. LBJ's great slacking society of child breeding for dollars has runined this country but the dems get the votes anyway while the rest of us pay for them! Eat what you earn for a change!!! Start taxing welfare yesterday and have a child tax for each person on welfare that continues to bring mouths for the rest of us to feed!! Better still let warren buffett pay for the trash since he seems to have plenty of money he needs to redirect to the ghetto.

....

So the congressional black caucus is admitting that The Big Zero is a huge failure. :facepalm:

[Jolie Rouge]

Obama tells blacks to 'stop complainin' and fight
By MARK S. SMITH - Associated Press | AP – 11 hrs ago

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tells-blacks-stop-complainin-fight-015928905.html;_ylt=Apq9zlaz68tpjyNbvIEUKQes0NUE;_ ylu=X3oDMTNqZTJuYmp1BGNjb2RlA2N0LmMEcGtnAzBmNWU2OT I1LTkwZTItM2MwYS1hNjA3LWUzMWNmYWE5NTVkZgRwb3MDMwRz ZWMDbW9zdF9wb3B1bGFyBHZlcgM1MDM5ZmRmMC1lNzJjLTExZT AtYTliZC1mYTA3MjBhNjNlZjE-;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRw c3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ ylv=3

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a fiery summons to an important voting bloc, President Barack Obama told blacks on Saturday to quit crying and complaining and "put on your marching shoes" to follow him into battle for jobs and opportunity.

And though he didn't say it directly, for a second term, too.

Obama's speech to the annual awards dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus was his answer to increasingly vocal griping from black leaders that he's been giving away too much in talks with Republicans -- and not doing to fight black unemployment, which is nearly double the national average at 16.7 percent.

"It gets folks discouraged. I know. I listen to some of y'all," Obama told an audience of some 3,000 in a darkened Washington convention center.

But he said blacks need to have faith in the future -- and understand that the fight won't be won if they don't rally to his side.

"I need your help," Obama said.

The president will need black turnout to match its historic 2008 levels if he's to have a shot at winning a second term, and Saturday's speech was a chance to speak directly to inner-city concerns.

He acknowledged blacks have suffered mightily because of the recession, and are frustrated that the downturn is taking so long to reverse. "So many people are still hurting. So many people are barely hanging on," he said, then added: "And so many people in this city are fighting us every step of the way."

But Obama said blacks know all too well from the civil rights struggle that the fight for what is right is never easy.

"Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes," he said, his voice rising as applause and cheers mounted. "Shake it off. Stop complainin'. Stop grumblin'. Stop cryin'. We are going to press on. We have work to do."

Topping the to-do list, he said, is getting Congress to the pass jobs bill he sent to Capitol Hill two weeks ago.

Obama said the package of payroll tax cuts, business tax breaks and infrastructure spending will benefit 100,000 black-owned businesses and 20 million African-American workers. Republicans have indicated they're open to some of the tax measures -- but oppose his means of paying for it: hiking taxes on top income-earners and big business.

But at times, Obama also sounded like he was discussing his own embattled tenure.

"The future rewards those who press on," He said. "I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on."

Caucus leaders remain fiercely protective of the nation's first African-American president, but in recent weeks they've been increasingly vocal in their discontent -- especially over black joblessness.

"If Bill Clinton had been in the White House and had failed to address this problem, we probably would be marching on the White House," the caucus chairman, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, recently told McClatchy Newspapers.

Like many Democratic lawmakers, caucus members were dismayed by Obama's concessions to the GOP during the summer's talks on raising the government's borrowing limit.

Cleaver famously called the compromise deal a "sugar-coated Satan sandwich."

But Cleaver said his members also are keeping their gripes in check because "nobody wants to do anything that would empower the people who hate the president."

Still, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., caused a stir last month by complaining that Obama's Midwest bus tour had bypassed black districts. She told a largely black audience in Detroit that the caucus is "supportive of the president, but we're getting tired."

Last year, Obama addressed the same dinner and implored blacks to get out the vote in the midterm elections because Republicans were preparing to "turn back the clock."

What followed was a Democratic rout that Obama acknowledged as a "shellacking."

Where blacks had turned out in droves to help elect him in 2008, there was a sharp drop-off two years later.

Some 65 percent of eligible blacks voted in 2008, compared with a 2010 level that polls estimate at between 37 percent and 40 percent. Final census figures for 2010 are not yet available, and it's worth noting off-year elections typically draw far fewer voters.

This year's caucus speech came as Obama began cranking up grass-roots efforts across the Democratic spectrum.

It also fell on the eve of a trip to the West Coast that will combine salesmanship for the jobs plan he sent to Congress this month and re-election fundraising.

Obama was leaving Sunday morning for Seattle, where two money receptions were planned, with two more to follow in the San Francisco area.

On Monday, Obama is holding a town meeting at the California headquarters of LinkedIn, the business networking website, before going on to fundraisers in San Diego and Los Angeles and a visit Tuesday to a Denver-area high school to highlight the school renovation component of the jobs package.

___

Online:

Congressional Black Caucus: http://thecongressionalblackcaucus.com/

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation: http://cbcfinc.org

[Jolie Rouge]

Congresswoman found speech to blacks 'curious'[i]
AP – 6 hrs ago]/i]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Maxine Waters says she's not sure who President Barack Obama was talking to when he told black Americans to quit complaining and follow him into the battle for jobs and opportunity.

The California Democrat, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, says she found the president's language "a bit curious." She says Obama didn't address Hispanics in such a blunt manner and would never use that language in a speech to a gathering of gays or Jews.

Interviewed Monday on CBS' "Early Show," Waters said black Americans fully support Obama and are working to promote his agenda. She says African-Americans want voters to be enthusiastic about Obama in 2012.

In Saturday's fiery speech to the caucus, Obama told blacks to "put on your marching shoes" and "stop grumbling.'"

http://news.yahoo.com/congresswoman-found-speech-blacks-curious-115603569.html

[Jolie Rouge]

Was transcription of Obama speech "racist" ?

By most accounts, President Obama gave a fiery speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual awards dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, telling blacks to "quit crying and complaining" and support him in the fight for jobs, according to the Associated Press. But was the AP transcription of Obama's remarks racist?

That's the subject currently being debated after the issue was raised on Chris Hayes' MSNBC show on Sunday.

On MSNBC, the African-American author Karen Hunter complained the news service transcribed Obama's speech without cleaning it up as other outlets did--specifically including the "dropped g's."

Via the AP version:


"Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes," he said, his voice rising as applause and cheers mounted. "Shake it off. Stop complainin'. Stop grumblin'. Stop cryin'. We are going to press on. We have work to do."

Hunter called the AP's version "inherently racist," sparring with New Republic contributing editor and noted linguistics expert John McWhorter, who argued the g-less version "is actually the correct one," noting that the president's victory in the 2008 election was due, in part, to how effortlessly "he can switch into that dialect."


Whatever the reason, Hunter found it offensive. "I teach a journalism class, and I tell my students to fix people's grammar, because you don't want them to sound ignorant," she said. "For them to do that, it's code, and I don't like it."

It's worth noting that the same sorts of arguments arose during George W. Bush's presidency, with the White House cleaning up the president's speeches to make him sound smarter, and news outlets sometimes not doing so.

According to Mark Smith, the AP reporter who filed the story, Obama was making a point by dropping his g's, making the transcription a no-brainer. "Normally, I lean toward the clean-it-up school of quote transcribing—for everyone," Smith told Mediaite. "But in this case, the President appeared to be making such a point of dropping Gs, and doing so in a rhythmic fashion, that for me to insert them would run clearly counter to his meaning. I believe I was respecting his intent in this. Certainly disrespect was the last thing I intended."

"The AP Stylebook counsels against using spellings like gonna or wanna--or in this case, complainin' and cryin'--'in attempts to convey regional dialects or informal pronunciations, except to help a desired touch or to convey an emphasis by the speaker,'" Tom Kent, the AP deputy managing editor for standards and production, said in a statement to The Cutline. "In this case, our reporter, who was there in person, felt the spellings were appropriate to convey a particular touch that President Obama appeared to be intentionally making use of."

Conservative bloggers agree--mainly because the story showed Obama pandering to a black base. "The first job of a journalist is to report a story as accurately as possible," Howard Portnoy wrote on HotAir.com. "Part of the job of reporting Obama's speech last night was to highlight his obvious pandering, which is borne of desperation. The only element missing from the story is whether any of the listeners were offended by the president's 'blaccent.'"

"The AP did not print the words as written for the president," Mike Opelka wrote on Glenn Beck-owned TheBlaze.com, "instead choosing to transcribe the speech with what might be considered a bit more accuracy."

"He was specifically, and intentionally, using an African-American linguistic style to emphasize his message," a conservative blog called the Last Refuge noted. "Now that the presidential campaign season has begun," Courtland Milloy wrote in an op-ed column for the Washington Post, "it's okay for President Obama to openly court black people again."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/associated-press-transcription-obama-cbc-speech-racist-173438340.html

[b]comments

If the president spoke those exact words, that's what should be reported. Television and radio get their sound clips with the exact words, why shouldn't newspapers and magazines report the unbiased facts. If that's what he said, that's what he said. There should be no "cleaning up." Just some cleaning out...in Washington.

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Dropping G's is 'black dialect' ? I should check my Irish American heritage!

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This is insane. First off I was taught in Journalism classes that you should write a quote down the way it was said. I was specifically told NOT to clean it up. If it needs that much cleaning up, don't use it and paraphrase. It goes against the very definition of a quote.

Second: By saying that this has anything to do with race is completely ignorant. I grew up in Vermont. I only knew one African American growing up. We ALL dropped our g's when speaking. (Well, almost all.)

Third: By saying that quoting Obama speaking in "the black dialect" and then saying that it "made him look ignorant" this woman is, herself, being racist. She is implying that if you speak in this mythical "black dialect" you are ignorant. What a freakin' tool!

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How in the world could this be considered racist?! Im from the deep south and i rarely even print all word with"g's". In my opinion its just a way of " speakin' " nowadays. This is not racist and i believe that the press must be the racist here to even suggest that. I mean COME ON!!!! Is this really the focus of his speach? I think not.It sounds to me like JOBS were his focus and the press totally missed it by FOCUSIN' on something so stupid as to correct his wording. Who really cares if he drops a g somewhere so long as the big problems are addressed. Some people just have way too much time on their hands.

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he also said y'all in the speech... did they clean it up to say "you all" instead. I don't even see the reason they would clean up a speech. I say leave the speeches alone and quote everything people say.

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If that's the way he said it, that's the way it should be told. People are carrying this "racist" crap way too far. Nobody put the #$%$ words in his mouth, so how can reporting what he said be racist? That is the dumbest thing I've heard today, and I've heard some pretty #$%$ dumb stuff.

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If we want to talk racist the Congressional BLACK Caucus is racist, just the name promotes BLACK ONLY group... If there was a Congressinal WHITE Caucus that would be shot down in a heart beat....There are alot of BLACK only groups that are accepted in our country but ANY white majority group is labled racist... Lets talk about who are the racists..... If u voted for the Pres only based on his race then YOU ARE RACIST... Oh wait thats only if ur white...

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So now reporting exactly what Obama said ... a direct quote ... is "racist" ... if it gets bad reviews ??

[Jolie Rouge]

Obama Drops the ‘Bedroom Slippers’ Bomb
By Anthony Ventre | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Mon, Sep 26, 2011

COMMENTARY | President Barack Obama called up fire and brimstone on blacks unwilling to "take off your bedroom slippers" and "put on your marching shoes."

The "marching shoes" reference intended to capture the civil rights spirit and seemed a matter of political desperation, according to Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy. But the "bedroom slippers" allusion was baffling. Was the "bedroom slippers" allusion supposed to be a metaphor for laziness or complacency?

Hadn't black communities that supported Obama in 2008 demonstrated considerable patience for a segment of the population experiencing 16.7 percent unemployment? In college, I shared an apartment for a couple of years with two black students, one from Bristol, Pa., and the other from Westfield, N.J. I'd never known either one to wear bedroom slippers, but both were hard-working and made something of themselves.

Years later, I shared an apartment with another black man. He was one of the most ambitious guys I've ever met, was ultimately successful and didn't own a pair of bedroom slippers. Around that same time period, I dated a black woman for a few months. I don't know if she became successful or not but she worked hard when I knew her and I never saw her in bedroom slippers.

For several years, I was an amateur boxing coach. The majority of our kids were black or Hispanic, as were most of the coaches. People who don't like to work hard never show up twice in a boxing gym. When amateur boxers have extra money, they buy boxing shoes, not bedroom slippers.

I'm not an expert on minority culture, but allow that I don't fit so well into the media stereotype of a television Republican conservative. From my observations, I believe many blacks are instinctually conservative in most areas except politics, where they have been persuaded by the magic fairy dust of politicians that they are Democrats. President Obama's suggestion of laziness or complacency at the Congressional Black Caucus was something I'd never observed through my own admittedly narrow cultural window.

The only black I've ever seen wearing bedroom slippers was comedian Bill Cosby in a portrayal of a black middle-class television family. Yet, everyone knows that the real-life Cosby is not a bedroom slipper kind of guy. Cosby's early year struggles make even Horatio Alger's characters look like slackers. For his well-intended exhortations to the black community, Cosby has been characterized by some blacks as a "race traitor."

Yet, there are signs Cosby's message has gotten through, with Philadelphia Democratic Mayor Michael Nutter recently telling minority youth to "pull your pants up and buy a belt." Nutter's fulminations are graphic but do not singularly apply to minority youth. The truly wondrous thing is that Nutter was not accused of being a "race traitor." Moreover, Whyatt Mondesire, head of the Philadelphia NAACP, even said it "took courage" for Nutter to deliver the message.

I would expect President Obama has had considerably more exposure to the black community than I have had. Yet, it's clear Obama's exhortations had more to do with capturing the black vote than on solving 16.7 percent unemployment among black adults and 25 percent among black youth. "Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying, we are going to press on, we've got work to do," President Obama told the CBC audience.

Seems like harsh advice from a president who spends so much time blaming his administration's frustrations and failures on a president who is nearly three years gone.

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-drops-bedroom-slippers-bomb-191000093.html

[Jolie Rouge]

Morgan Freeman's Anti-Tea Party Comments Backfire, Actually Benefit Herman Cain
By Tina Molly Lang | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Mon, Sep 26, 2011

COMMENTARY | Morgan Freeman may have shot himself in the foot because his comments about the tea party movement.


In a CNN interview with Piers Morgan, the actor suggested the tea party's desire to make Barack Obama a one-term president was motivated by racism. Putting words in their mouths, he says, "Screw the country. We're going to do whatever we do to get this black man, we can, we're going to do whatever we can to get this black man out of here."


Freeman also remarks that "It just shows the weak, dark underside of America. We're supposed to be better than that."


Freeman's comments are ironic on several levels. First, his own remarks reveal racial motives. Instead of debating the specific policy points he disagrees with, he chooses to fall back on identity politics and to play the race card.


This backfires against Freeman because it highlights some of the hypocrisy we see in among anti-tea party advocates. What evidence does he have the movement specifically targets black Americans? Freeman also seems to forget Obama could not have won the presidency without the support of moderate white America (as well as a prominent number of Republicans).


Fiscal conservatives would have been just as eager to vote out Hillary Clinton, Al Gore or John Edwards had they been elected president. Should we then accuse Republicans of being "anti-white?" (Obama is, after all, half white.)


Second, Herman Cain's popularity among tea party supporters seems to disprove Freeman's point.


Also, Cain's candidacy actually benefits from Freeman's remarks. In a Fox News interview (posted by Huffington Post), Cain pointed out critics would only resort to name-calling because they didn't know how else to stop the movement.


Cain had spent quite a bit of time being overshadowed by Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. However, Freeman indirectly casts a spotlight on Cain's candidacy by putting him in a position where he has to defend the tea party movement. Cain is getting more screen time in the mainstream media than he would have otherwise.


The Freeman incident provides a boost to Cain's campaign because it further motivates his supporters to mobilize. And casual voters who otherwise would have focused on more high-profile GOP contenders, might take the time to learn about Cain's candidacy. Could "Yes We Cain" become the next campaign slogan?

http://news.yahoo.com/morgan-freemans-anti-tea-party-comments-backfire-actually-223800118.html

[Jolie Rouge]

'Racists' for Cain
By Mona Charen | Mona Charen – 21 hrs ago

Do not suppose for a minute that Herman Cain's victory in the Florida straw poll will alter the liberal narrative about the Tea Party and Republicans. No, we will continue to be instructed by the Congressional Black Caucus, the Today Show and The New York Times that the eruption of the Tea Parties is a reflection of the dark id of American conservatism; that it is primarily racist and xenophobic; and that the Tea Party movement is radical and extremist.

Waving the "bloody shirt" of racism has been the most reliable workhorse of Democratic politics for at least a generation. Remember the wall-to-wall coverage of the "epidemic" of black church fires in the 1990s? Remember George W. Bush's "insensitivity" regarding the ghastly lynching of James Byrd? The epidemic turned out to be imaginary and Bush was happy to sign the death warrant for one of Byrd's murderers, but the tactic is too precious for Democrats to abandon.

It will take some imagination to explain away Herman Cain's success. Among the very voters Democrats demonize, Cain achieved a resounding victory with 37.1 percent of the vote — more than twice the percentage of his next, nearest competitor Rick Perry, who received 15.4 percent.

And it wasn't that Republicans and conservatives were acting upon an affirmative action spirit — trying to prove that they too could pull the lever for a black guy. It's that Herman Cain delivers a great speech, is willing to propose solutions commensurate with our problems and is possessed of a remarkably sunny personality. As the Washington Examiner's Byron York reported, "It's not an exaggeration to say that his power as an orator sealed the deal for hundreds of delegates. They believed Cain was speaking to them from the heart, and they were carried away by it."

And it doesn't hurt that Cain embodies the Horatio Alger rise to success that liberals dismiss as myth but conservatives still believe.

Raised in pre-civil rights Georgia by working class parents (his mother was a maid and his father worked as a janitor, a barber and a chauffeur), Cain got a degree in mathematics from Morehouse College and then a master's in computer science at Purdue. While in school, he worked for the Navy in ballistics. Upon leaving the Navy, he entered the heart of corporate America, working first for the Coca-Cola Co., later for Pillsbury and then Burger King. The division of Burger King he headed went from the least profitable to the most profitable in three years. He performed similar magic for Godfather's Pizza, but in a shorter time, turning the company to profitability in a mere 14 months. He served as chairman and later CEO of the National Restaurant Association, and he also became chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, before achieving the true pinnacle of human achievement with a syndicated newspaper column.

Cain's proposal to reform Social Security along the lines that Chile and 36 other nations have adopted is the sanest entitlement policy prescription of the campaign thus far — and with Mitt Romney playing it safe and Rick Perry having taken so much heat for the Ponzi scheme wording — it is likely to remain so.

Cain's 999-tax plan is similarly refreshing. Our 11,045-page tax code, barnacled by layer after layer of complexity and special interest loopholes, is a drag on productivity and national sanity. A government watchdog agency estimates that Americans spend 6.1 billion hours annually complying with the code. Something like Cain's plan would cut the Gordian knot.

But as historian and political analyst Richard Brookhiser put it, about Pat Robertson in the 1988 presidential election, "The presidency is not an entry-level post." It isn't that Cain lacks the stature to be president, it's that he lacks the kind of experience the office requires. Though we perpetually disparage politicians in America (for good reasons much of the time), it cannot be denied that political skills are necessary in a political job. Beyond delivering a good speech, a successful president must know how to build coalitions, apply pressure to friends and foes alike, deal with a hostile press, appoint officials who won't embarrass the administration, handle ego and turf battles among his advisors and cabinet members, and know when to spend and when to husband political capital. And all of that is before he begins to deal with other nations.

Cain is a great American. His sudden rise in the presidential contest should (but won't) give pause to the bigots who have defamed conservatives and the Tea Party. But he is not our knight in shining armor. There may not be one. He'd make a heck of a Treasury Secretary though.

http://news.yahoo.com/racists-cain-070000314.html

comments

Great news article. I agree with everything except the conclusion. I'm not willing to discount Cain's candidacy simply because almost all of his track record is in the executive management of Fortune 500 companies. As Cain has said: "The voice of the people is greater than the voice of the press."

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I don't know why they are dismissing him. He has more leadership experience than Obama did when he was elected. And he has a better track record in economics. I would vote for him, at least he has answers and says what he thinks.

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Hermain Cain is a Person who speaks with intelligence to all. He does not speak down to select people as some leaders believe they must to get some type of attention.

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I am delighted to have a disiplined candidate that is passionate about the Constiution and equal justice running as a Tea Party candidate under the Republican banner. I am voting for Mr. Cain for many reasons that have nothing to do with his skin color. He is qualified, he is correct on the economy and taxes, he IS a rocket scientist, and he is correct on closing our international borders to protect us. He has my vote.

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4users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate!Please sign in to rate!0users disliked this commentSteveO 10 hours ago I am delighted to have a disiplined candidate that is passionate about the Constiution and equal justice running as a Tea Party candidate under the Republican banner. I am voting for Mr. Cain for many reasons that have nothing to do with his skin color. He is qualified, he is correct on the economy and taxes, he IS a rocket scientist, and he is correct on closing our international borders to protect us. He has my vote.

[Jolie Rouge]

US embassy in Havana marks 'new chapter' in Cuba ties
JULIE PACE - 5 hrs ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that the U.S. and Cuba will reopen their embassies in Havana and Washington, heralding a "new chapter" in relations after a half-century of hostility.

"We don't have to be imprisoned by the past," Obama said from White House Rose Garden. "Americans and Cubans alike are ready to move forward."

Cuban television broadcast Obama's statement live, underscoring the new spirit. A state television anchor read a letter from Cuban President Raul Castro to Obama in which he wrote that Cuba is "encouraged by the reciprocal intention to develop respectful relations and cooperation between our people and governments."

The embassy agreement marks the biggest tangible step toward normalizing relations since the surprise announcement in December that the U.S. and Cuba were restarting diplomatic ties. The posts in Washington and Havana are scheduled to open July 20, Cuba's Foreign Ministry said.

Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Cuba for the opening of the U.S. Embassy. Kerry, who is in Vienna for nuclear talks with Iran, called the embassy agreement "long overdue."

For Obama, ending the U.S. freeze with Cuba is central to his foreign policy legacy as he nears the end of his presidency. Obama has long touted the value of direct engagement with global foes and has argued that the U.S. economic embargo on the communist island just 90 miles south of Florida was ineffective.

Amid the celebratory rhetoric, there were words of caution from both countries.

A statement from the Cuban government said reopening embassies was just the first step in "a long and complex process toward normalization of bilateral ties." It demanded an end to the U.S. embargo, the return of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo and a halt to U.S. radio and TV broadcasts aimed at the island.

And Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said in a statement that opening a U.S. Embassy in Cuba "will do nothing to help the Cuban people and is just another trivial attempt for President Obama to go legacy shopping."

The president on Wednesday reiterated his call for Congress to lift the embargo, which he said has failed to bring political change in Cuba. However, he faces stiff resistance from Republicans, as well as some Democrats, who say he is prematurely rewarding a government that engages in serious human rights abuses.

The president also will face strong opposition in Congress to spending any taxpayer dollars for building or refurbishing an embassy in Havana. Congress would have to approve any administration request to spend money on an embassy.


The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee voted last month to curb Obama administration efforts to work on an embassy in Cuba.

A $48 billion foreign aid bill for next year bars any work on an American embassy there unless Obama certifies that Havana is meeting the terms of a 1996 law aimed at pushing the island nation's government toward democracy. That law's conditions include Cuba's extradition of people who are accused of crimes in the U.S.

The U.S. cut off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961 after Fidel Castro's revolution. The U.S. spent decades trying to either actively overthrow the Cuban government or isolate the island, including toughening the economic embargo first imposed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Since the late 1970s, the United States and Cuba have operated diplomatic missions called interests sections in each other's capitals. The missions are technically under the protection of Switzerland, and do not enjoy the same status as embassies.

Ahead of Obama's remarks, the top U.S. diplomat in Havana delivered a letter from the White House to Cuba about restoring embassies in the countries' respective capitals. U.S. Interests Section chief Jeffrey DeLaurentis arrived at the Cuban Foreign Ministry in Havana on Wednesday morning to hand-deliver the message.

In a highly unusual move, Cuban state television broadcast Obama's remarks live with translation in Spanish.

While the opening of embassies marks a major milestone in the thaw between the U.S. and Cuba, significant issues remain as the countries look to normalize relations. Among them: talks on human rights; demands for compensation for confiscated American properties in Havana and damages to Cuba from the embargo; and possible cooperation on law enforcement, including the touchy topic of U.S. fugitives sheltering in Havana.

Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the opening of embassies was part of the administration's "common sense approach to Cuba." However, he called for Cuba to recognize that it is out of step with the international community on human rights.

"Arrests and detentions of dissidents must cease and genuine political pluralism is long overdue," Cardin said in a statement.

For Obama, the embassy announcements come amid what the White House sees as one of the strongest stretches of his second term. He scored major legislative and legal victories last week, with Congress giving him fast-track authority for an Asia-Pacific free trade deal and the Supreme Court upholding a key provision of his health care law.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/obama-us-embassy-in-havana-marks-new-chapter-in-cuba-ties/ar-AAcquOa?ocid=ansnewsap11

[Jolie Rouge]

http://www.bigbigforums.com/news-and-information/505270-cult-che.html

http://www.bigbigforums.com/news-and-information/605880-fidel-castro-says-cuba-could-talk-obama.html

http://www.bigbigforums.com/news-and-information/603442-cuban-president-visit-russia-alliance-grows.html

http://www.bigbigforums.com/news-and-information/610316-buddy-system-begins-fidel-castro-believes-obama.html

http://www.bigbigforums.com/news-and-information/626718-us-cuba-discuss-resuming-direct-mail.html

[Jolie Rouge]

Kerry calls for democracy as U.S. flag rises in Cuba
MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and BRADLEY KLAPPER - 17 hrs ago

HAVANA — Jubilant crowds waved American flags and chanted "Long live the United States!" as the Stars and Stripes rose over the newly reopened U.S. Embassy in Cuba on Friday after a half-century of often-hostile relations. Secretary of State John Kerry celebrated the day but also made an extraordinary, nationally broadcast call for democratic change on the island.

Hundreds of Cubans mixed with American tourists outside the former U.S. Interests Section, newly emblazoned with the letters "Embassy of the United States of America." They cheered as Kerry spoke, the United States Army Brass Quintet played "The Star-Spangled Banner" and U.S. Marines raised the flag alongside the building overlooking the famous Malecon seaside promenade.

Meeting more than 54 years after the severing of diplomatic relations, Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez set an early September date for the start of talks on full normalization of a relationship so long frozen in enmity.

Not all the talk was as warm as the sunny summer day. Kerry and Rodriguez said their nations would continue to disagree over issues such as democracy and human rights. But they also said they hoped to make progress on issues ranging from maritime security and public health to the billions of dollars in dueling claims over confiscation of U.S. property and the U.S. economic embargo on the island.

It seemed that virtually all of Cuba was glued to television or listening by cellphone as Kerry directly addressed the island's people on political reform. That's a subject that has remained off-limits in Cuba even as the single-party government has implemented a series of economic reforms and re-established diplomatic ties with the U.S.

"We remain convinced the people of Cuba would be best served by a genuine democracy, where people are free to choose their leaders, express their ideas, practice their faith," Kerry said. He spoke before an audience of Cuban and U.S. diplomats on the embassy grounds and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of islanders watching and listening live.

Addressing reporters with Kerry after the ceremony, Rodriguez responded by indignantly opening his remarks with complaints of U.S. human rights transgressions — from police shootings of black men to mistreatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base that Cuba says must be returned.

"Cuba isn't a place where there's racial discrimination, police brutality or deaths resulting from those problems," Rodriguez said. "The territory where torture occurs and people are held in legal limbo isn't under Cuban jurisdiction."

Many Cubans disagree with that assessment, including Afro-Cubans who say discrimination is still rampant despite the revolution's egalitarian ideals, and human rights groups who say regular, short-term arrests of government opponents aim to intimidate dissent and include beatings.

In New York, Republican presidential contender Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American senator from Florida, said he would reverse the Obama administration's new Cuba policy on his first day in office, arguing it gives the Castro government international legitimacy and more resources to repress its people.

Kerry acknowledged that the Obama administration would have a difficult fight in Congress to end the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba so that normal business ties between the two countries could resume.

"There is no way Congress will lift the embargo if we are not making progress on issues of conscience," Kerry said.

President Barack Obama also called for change in Cuba when he announced the new U.S. policy of engagement in December, but his words were less pointed than Kerry's in Havana.

Cuba formally reopened its Washington embassy last month. The U.S. raised its flag in Havana then, too, though saving the formal ceremony for Kerry's visit. Three Marines who took part in the flag-lowering in 1961 handed over the new flag to Marines who raised it on Friday.

Kerry was the first secretary of state to visit since 1945, and his speech was remarkable for its bluntness and the national spotlight in which it came.

Many Cubans lauded Kerry's call for reform, including greater access to technology on an island with one of the world's lowest rates of internet penetration. They paired their praise with calls for the United States to lift the 53-year-old trade embargo and allow easier travel between the two countries.

"More democracy, elections, we hope for that to come with this diplomatic opening," said Julio Garcia, a 51-year-old mechanic.

Self-employed graphic designers Danay Lopez, 28, and her husband Yosvel Martinez, 32, watched the ceremony with their 3-year-old son, singing both countries' national anthems and shouting "Long live Cuba!" and "Long live the United States!" as the event drew to a close.

"Kerry spoke about democracy, freedom, WiFi, and he's right," Lopez said. "We want all that to be freed up, but (also) for the U.S. to free up travel, and I don't want my son to live under the embargo."

Like Obama, Kerry said a longtime U.S. strategy of trying to isolate Cuba and provoke regime change by choking off trade and fomenting grass-roots agitation had failed.

"It would be equally unrealistic to expect normalizing relations to have a transformative impact in the short term," he said. "After all, Cuba's future is for Cubans to shape."

After speaking to reporters with Rodriguez, Kerry briefly walked Old Havana's historic Plaza de San Francisco with Havana City Historian Eusebio Leal, stopping to look in shops and greet local residents and store owners before heading to an afternoon flag-raising at the home of the embassy's chief of mission.

He addressed a group of diplomats, Cuban-Americans and advocates of diplomacy with Cuba before a trio of Marines raised the Stars and Stripes in the stately home's back garden. The event was attended by dissidents including Jose Daniel Ferrer, Miriam Leiva and Yoani Sanchez, who tweeted a selfie with Kerry and a photo of the secretary of state meeting privately with a group of dissidents.

The dissidents were not invited to the embassy ceremony, avoiding tensions with Cuban officials who typically boycott events attended by the country's small political opposition.

Soon after Kerry was heading home Friday evening, diplomats who negotiated the July 20 embassy reopening will launch full-time into discussing how to bring about measures such as re-establishing direct flights and mail service.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/kerry-calls-for-democracy-as-us-flag-rises-in-cuba/ar-BBlJgF3?ocid=ansnewsap11

[Jolie Rouge]

More than 200 dissidents rounded up and arrested in Cuba one day before Obama’s arrival

March 20, 2016 by Alberto de la Cruz

Cuba’s apartheid Castro dictatorship continues to enjoy the empowerment and impunity that Obama’s Hope and Change Cuba policy has so generously bestowed upon them. Lacking any concern or fear of reprisals from the White House, Cuban State Security hunted down and arrested more than 200 peaceful dissidents on the day before Obama’s arrival to the island.

In a normal world with a normal American president, vile and heinous actions such as these would bring serious consequences to Cuba’s repressive regime. But this is neither a normal world nor do we have a normal president. Obama will continue with his “fun” trip to apartheid Cuba, comply with the demands of his dictatorial hosts, and the best anyone can hope for is a vague reference to human rights conveyed in a few mumbled and incoherent words that no doubt will also be delivered with a qualifier that the U.S. has a human rights problem as well.

The report via 14yMedio in Translating Cuba:


More than 200 Activists Arrested Throughout the Island

http://translatingcuba.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Jose-Daniel-Ferrer-Union-Patriotica_CYMIMA20160308_0013_13-1.jpg

Jose Daniel Ferrer, leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU)

Havana, 19 March 2016 — The arrests of 209 activists is the final result this Saturday, a day on which several opposition groups demanded the release of political prisoners. The majority of those arrested are members of Unión Patriótica de Cuba (Cuban Patriotic Union, UNPACU), according to a statement to 14yMedio by its general coordinator, José Daniel Ferrer.

The bulk of the arrests took place in the eastern provinces and in the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud (the Island of Youth, formerly the Island of Pines) when the activists demanded publicly “the release of political prisoners, respect for human rights and the end of repression against the Ladies in White,” stated the activist formerly imprisoned following Cuba’s Black Spring.

Other activists were prevented from leaving their homes during police operations, including Zaqueo Báez, who was arrested on two occasions this past week. A similar situation was denounced by Arcelio Rafael Molina, a member of UNPACU, who has been forbidden to leave his home in the municipality of Playa, in Havana, which is also the headquarters for the western branch of the organization.

The group denounced as well that, this morning, a group of 15 of its members in Havana’s Parque Central (Central Park) was “surrounded by political police agents who threatened them with arrest if they created any demonstration.”

In the eastern part of the country, the bulk of arrests are concentrated in Santiago de Cuba with 147 detained activists, plus 28 in Guantanamo, 16 in Las Tunas and 6 in Holguín.

UNPACU is the largest opposition organization in the country, and it has shown public support for the visit of Barack Obama who will arrive on the island this Sunday. In its communiqués UNPACU has also warned about a possible increase in repression during the president’s stay in Cuba.

http://babalublog.com/2016/03/20/more-than-200-dissidents-rounded-up-and-arrested-in-cuba-one-day-before-obamas-arrival/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork

[Jolie Rouge]

Obama in Cuba: 5 things to watch
By Jordan Fabian - 03/19/16 01:18 PM EDT

President Obama travels to Cuba on Sunday for a historic visit meant to cement a new policy of openness toward the United States' former Cold War foe.

A successful trip could help make Obama’s legacy-defining decision to reverse the U.S. policy of isolation toward the island nation "irreversible," officials say. His visit could also pave the way for the Cuban trade embargo to fall after he leaves office.
But the road will be bumpy, with different views on economics, politics and human rights emerging as friction points in the U.S.-Cuba relationship.

Here are five things to watch for while Obama is in Cuba.

Political pressure

Obama is going to talk about his vision of a Cuba with greater political freedoms and economic opportunity, but the question is how far he’ll push the envelope.

The president plans to deliver his message next Tuesday in a major speech to the Cuban people, which will be carried live on state-run television, and during a meeting with President Raúl Castro.

Obama plans to call for the Cuban people to be given the rights of free speech and free assembly, but he won’t call for Castro — who has been condemned by human rights groups for repressing his people — to step aside.

“The difference here is that, in the past because of certain U.S. policies, the message that was delivered in that regard either overtly or implicitly suggested that the U.S. was seeking to pursue regime change,” deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters on Wednesday.

“With his message around the world, he will make very clear that that's up to the Cuban people.”

That’s in line with Obama’s strategy of using diplomatic engagement to nudge the Cubans to adopt political reforms.

But it won’t satisfy critics of his policy, who say the president’s decision to reestablish ties with Cuba rewards the Castro government for bad behavior.

The guest list

Obama also plans to meet with political dissidents while in Cuba, but the makeup of his guest list will be closely watched for any signs of interference from the Castro government.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Wednesday called the list “nonnegotiable,” saying Obama have the final call over who he meets with, even if it upsets the Cuban government.

But top Cuban officials have repeatedly warned Obama not to meddle in the country’s political affairs and the government has stepped up its crackdowns on dissidents in recent months.

The human-rights situation in Cuba has not improved since Obama and Castro announced their diplomatic thaw in December 2014.

Last Saturday, more than two dozen dissidents were arrested after a demonstration in Havana, including Berta Soler, a well-known activist who leads the dissident group Ladies in White.

Depending on who is on the list, the meeting will either be seen as a powerful rebuke of Castro’s restrictive policies or a missed opportunity.

Play ball

Obama won’t throw out the first pitch before he takes in an exhibition baseball game between Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team.

But the president and the Cubans are hoping the baseball game could be a home run for breaking economic barriers between the two nations.

Rather than place direct pressure on Cuba to open up its political system, Obama is betting that closer economic and cultural ties will spur the Castro government to adopt reforms.

Attending the baseball game is a key part of that strategy.

Americans and Cubans share a love of baseball. Defectors from the island — such as New York Mets slugger Yoenis Céspedes and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig — are some of the biggest stars in the game.

Behind the scenes, MLB, the Obama administration and the Castro government have discussed ways to establish a safer, more direct pathway for Cuban players to reach the majors.

The Treasury Department days before the trip loosened rules to allow Cuban citizens to legally earn a salary in the U.S. That could pave the way for an agreement with MLB for Cuban baseball players to play in the U.S. without defecting.

The Fidel factor

White House officials have stressed Obama will not meet with Raúl’s older brother, Fidel Castro, the aging leader of Cuba’s communist revolution.

An encounter with the elder Castro could cast a cloud over Obama’s visit, placing the focus on the two countries’ dark past.

Last January, the retired leader indicated he’s open to his brother’s decision to pursue normalized relations with its northern neighbor but made it clear he’s not entirely on board.

Castro, who stepped down from power in 2008, wrote in Cuba’s state-controlled newspaper that he doesn’t “trust” the U.S.

While a meeting with Fidel Castro has been ruled out, it will be interesting to see if the ailing leader makes a rare public appearance during Obama’s visit, something that would surely rankle American officials.

Breaking the embargo

The Obama administration has continued to chip away at the five-decade-old trade embargo against Cuba, enacting a litany of policy changes in the days before the president's visit.

Both sides will be looking to make even more progress on that front during the three-day visit.

In addition to the new banking rules, the U.S. dramatically loosened loosened restrictions on travel to Cuba, eased security restrictions on cargo ships and reestablished direct mail service.

Cuba removed a 10 percent penalty on converting U.S. dollars, a gesture toward American travelers and business interests.

But the Obama administration will be pushing the Cuban government to adopt even more changes, including expanding the country’s scant Internet access and making it easier for foreign business to hire Cuban workers. Currently, Cubans must be hired through the government.

http://thehill.com/policy/international/273627-obama-in-cuba-five-things-to-watch

[Jolie Rouge]

The same week that Barack Obama’s Treasury Department signed off on a special deal allowing a major U.S. hotel chain to open its doors in Cuba, the Chinese announced they were buying that very same hotelier. But that’s not how it’s being sold to you.

On the surface, it looks like a triumph of capitalism over communism. A major American hotel chain signs a deal with Communist Cuba to manage two hotels in Havana to market to vacation-hungry westerners.

But under the surface, it’s a different story.

Despite the détente between the United States and Cuba (one of Barack Obama’s self-proclaimed “successes”) there is still an economic embargo of the totalitarian island government. Obama has called for Congress to eliminate the 54-year-old embargo, but it remains in effect – for now.

Last week, however, the Treasury Department gave special permission for Starwood Hotels to sign a multi-million-dollar deal with the Castro regime.

This comes the same week that it’s announced a Chinese insurance company with close ties to the Communist party there is buying Starwood Hotels.

Here’s how it washes out, then: President Barack Obama gives permission for a Communist Chinese hotel chain to do business as an American company in Communist Cuba.

If that doesn’t sound much like a triumph of the free market, you’re right. But there’s more.

In the last 20 years, Starwood has given $12 million to lobbyists in Washington and $1.2 million to both Republicans and Democrats, according to OpenSecrets.org. In the 2014 campaign cycle, Starwood gave $440,000 to lobbyists and more than $71,000 to campaigns – more than $50,000 of which went directly to Democrats. In 2012, Starwood gave $14,000 directly to Obama’s re-election campaign, while only $1,500 to Mitt Romney’s.

To add to the aura of crony capitalism, four of the six lobbyists working for Starwood Hotels previously had jobs with the federal government.

Starwood Hotels is the parent company of such hotels as Sheraton, Westin and the St. Regis.

The Chinese company, Anbang Insurance Group, has been on a buying spree in the U.S. and Europe. They already acquired the famous Waldorf Astoria in New York, the Blackstone group of Hotels (Marriott, Renaissance) and they purchased Fidelity and Guaranty Life Insurance.

Anbang’s Chairman, Wu Xiaohui, is married to the granddaughter of China’s former leader Deng Xiaoping and one of its directors is the son of a Communist Revolution-era top general. With their command economy, the Communist Chinese routinely direct so-called “private” companies and their actions.

The Chinese have been on a foreign buying binge – signing $102 billion in foreign deals this year alone. Their long-term goal is to secure major portions of the world economy for their political and economic benefit.

And unwittingly (we hope), the Obama Administration has allowed them to take hold in Communist Cuba, using our own crony capitalism against us, backed up by millions of dollars in political payoffs.

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/chinese-use-american-crony-capitalism-and-obamas-blessing-to-move-into-communist-cuba

[Jolie Rouge]

The two floral dresses that first lady Michelle Obama sported in Cuba this week would not be affordable for the wide majority of individuals living in the repressive country.

US Weekly recently spotlighted two outfits that Obama wore during appearances in Havana on Sunday and Monday that, according to a Free Beacon analysis, together cost more than 23 times the average annual state salary in Cuba recorded in 2014.

When the president and his family landed in Cuba Sunday, the first lady descended Air Force One wearing a sleeveless, rose-print dress made by designer Carolina Herrera. The dress is currently sold for $2,190 at Bergdorf Goodman, an upscale department store.

http://freebeacon.com/politics/michelle-obamas-floral-outfits-cost-23-times-average-annual-salary-in-cuba/

[Jolie Rouge]

WATCH--OBAMA:
“It’s always a CHALLENGE when you have a terrorist attack anywhere in the world, particularly in this age of 24/7 news coverage ..."


With Europe in Crisis, Obama Jokes:

'Nothing Is More Stressful Than Throwing Out a First Pitch'

Wearing shades, smiling -- even doing "the wave" at a baseball game with Cuban President Raul Castro on Tuesday -- President Obama found time to joke:

“We do a lot of tough stuff as president. And by definition you don’t end up as president if you don’t handle stress well. Nothing is more stressful than throwing out a first pitch,” he said in an interview with ESPN.

In fact, Obama did NOT throw out the first pitch on Tuesday. He said he never played baseball as a child, so he left the honors to the professionals.

The sports network asked Obama about his decision to attend the game on a day when more than 30 people were killed in two terror attacks in Brussels.

Obama said he'd spoken earlier with the the Belgian prime minister, and he promised to continue "pounding" ISIS/ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

“It’s always a challenge when you have a terrorist attack anywhere in the world, particularly in this age of 24/7 news coverage. You want to be respectful and understand the gravity of the situation, but the whole premise of terrorism is to try to disrupt people’s ordinary lives,” Obama said.

"And one of my most powerful memories and one of my proudest moments as president was watching Boston respond after the marathon (terror attack).

"And when (David) Ortiz went out and said -- probably the only time that America didn't have a problem with...a person on live TV -- was when he talked about Boston, and how strong it was and how it was not going to be intimidated.

"And that is the kind of resiliance and the kind of strength that we have to show in the face of these terrorists. They cannot defeat America. They don't produce anything. They don't have a message that appeals to the vast majority of Muslims or the vast majority of people around the world.

"What they can do is scare and -- and make people afraid and disrupt our daily lives and divide us. And as long as we don't allow that to happen, we're going to be ok."

The message delivered by David Ortiz in April 2013 that so inspired President Obama included language not normally heard on television:

"This jersey that we wear today, it doesn't say 'Red Sox.' It says 'Boston,' " Ortiz said. After thanking city leaders and police officers for the great job they did during and after the marathon bombing, Ortiz told a cheering crowd, "This is our f***ing city. And nobody's going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong," he said.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/europe-crisis-obama-jokes-baseball-game-nothing-more-stressful-throwing-out


http://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10456044_612059678945805_5467788154619617165_n.jpg ?oh=1923f1d4672c0150879ced35405d3f04&oe=57857E20

[Jolie Rouge]

Fidel Castro Publishes Scathing Letter Slamming The United States and Obama
Katie Pavlich | Mar 28, 2016

Less than a week after President Obama visited the communist island and pow-wowed with dictator Raul Castro at a baseball game, Fidel Castro has published a scathing letter slamming the United States and mocking Obama in the regime's state run newspaper. From POLITICO: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/fidel-castro-obama-221279?cmpid=sf


Castro ripped into the president and his words during the visit in El Granma, the official state newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party, bringing up Obama's relative youth, the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the role of both countries in ending the apartheid in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent in an article titled "El hermano Obama."

Cuba "has no need of gifts" from the United States, Castro concluded. "Our efforts will be legal and peaceful, because it is our commitment to peace and brotherhood of all human beings living on this planet."

During a joint press conference in Havana last week, Raul Castro openly criticized the United States on human rights issues, pointing out the lack of single-payer healthcare. Later, President Obama said he didn't necessarily disagree.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8OiahvC728&feature=player_embedded

Meanwhile in Cuba, basic human rights like free speech, freedom of religion and freedom to assemble are non-existent. Those who dare to engage in the practice of these rights are thrown in jail, just like the more than 50 dissidents who were arrested by the Cuban government just hours prior to Obama's arrival.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/03/28/fidel-castro-letter-slamming-obama-america-n2139834

[Jolie Rouge]

WATCH--OBAMA:

With Europe in Crisis, Obama Jokes:

Wearing shades, smiling -- even doing "the wave" at a baseball game with Cuban President Raul Castro on Tuesday -- President Obama found time to joke:

“We do a lot of tough stuff as president. And by definition you don’t end up as president if you don’t handle stress well. Nothing is more stressful than throwing out a first pitch,” he said in an interview with ESPN.

In fact, Obama did NOT throw out the first pitch on Tuesday. He said he never played baseball as a child, so he left the honors to the professionals.

The sports network asked Obama about his decision to attend the game on a day when more than 30 people were killed in two terror attacks in Brussels.

Obama said he'd spoken earlier with the the Belgian prime minister, and he promised to continue "pounding" ISIS/ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

“It’s always a challenge when you have a terrorist attack anywhere in the world, particularly in this age of 24/7 news coverage. You want to be respectful and understand the gravity of the situation, but the whole premise of terrorism is to try to disrupt people’s ordinary lives,” Obama said.

"And one of my most powerful memories and one of my proudest moments as president was watching Boston respond after the marathon (terror attack).

"And when (David) Ortiz went out and said -- probably the only time that America didn't have a problem with...a person on live TV -- was when he talked about Boston, and how strong it was and how it was not going to be intimidated.

"And that is the kind of resiliance and the kind of strength that we have to show in the face of these terrorists. They cannot defeat America. They don't produce anything. They don't have a message that appeals to the vast majority of Muslims or the vast majority of people around the world.

"What they can do is scare and -- and make people afraid and disrupt our daily lives and divide us. And as long as we don't allow that to happen, we're going to be ok."

The message delivered by David Ortiz in April 2013 that so inspired President Obama included language not normally heard on television:

"This jersey that we wear today, it doesn't say 'Red Sox.' It says 'Boston,' " Ortiz said. After thanking city leaders and police officers for the great job they did during and after the marathon bombing, Ortiz told a cheering crowd, "This is our f***ing city. And nobody's going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong," he said.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/europe-crisis-obama-jokes-baseball-game-nothing-more-stressful-throwing-out


http://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10456044_612059678945805_5467788154619617165_n.jpg ?oh=1923f1d4672c0150879ced35405d3f04&oe=57857E20

http://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12931014_1019379541444256_5916476377854020127_n.jp g?oh=debfbe9504d41b87cafdb049c7ff3a5d&oe=578808EB

If you are not sure who he is ... you might want to read up http://www.bigbigforums.com/news-and-information/505270-cult-che.html

http://www.history.com/topics/che-guevara

http://www.history.com/topics/che-guevara/videos/che-guevara-fast-facts?cmpid=mrss_int_taboola_video_his

http://whatculture.com/history/10-mind-blowing-facts-about-che-guevara

[Jolie Rouge]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/28/us/florida-lighthouse-cuban-migrants-court-ruling/index.html