Senator Baucus seeks visa for Cuban vet to expedite cattle sale

[Osolomia]

Yet another "Castro apologist" who won't give up whether biased DUhers like it or not:

By The Associated Press - 01/23/04

HELENA (AP) — Sen. Max Baucus is asking Secretary of State Colin Powell to let Cuba send a veterinarian to Montana to expedite a sale of state cattle to that country.

The Montana Democrat traveled to Cuba last September with Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., and some Montana agriculture producers. The trip led to a $10 million sale of Montana farm goods and cattle to Cuba.

Cuba is one of the few nations that have not closed their borders to Montana cattle and beef since the discovery of mad cow disease in Washington state, Baucus said in his letter to Powell.

... Baucus and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., are sponsoring legislation that would lower the U.S. ban on travel to Cuba. Supporters contend that lifting travel restrictions would be a first step toward ending the embargo against Cuba and open a new market for U.S. farmers.

More...
http://www.montanastandard.com/articles/2004/01/23/newsstate/hjjfjihgjcgafh.txt

[Mika]

1. Repugs seeking to end the Cuba sanctions..

.. are becoming more common than Dems.

Duh.

-The Democratic Presidential Candidates on Cuba-
http://www.lawg.org/pages/new%20pages/Misc/prez-candidates1.htm

[Osolomia]

3. Evidently Dems think it's democratic to ignore the majority

and pander to the extremist right wing minority instead then wonder why the party keeps losing.

[Mika]

5. Not so sure that..

.. the Dems are interested in democracy (as it relates to the Cuba/US relations issue), as evidenced by the Dem prez candidates position on keeping the sanctions in place (except D Kucinich).

Its ALL about pandering to the pro embargo extremists and the anti embargo factions for campaign money. Campaign money that pours in to candidates on both sides of the issue. If there is a resolution to the Cuba trade issue, and if there is a normalization of relations with Cuba, then the campaign coffers will no longer be filled with pro and anti Cuba trade contributions.

It is not in any pandering politician's best interests for the Cuba standoff to end, it must continue - so as to generate much needed campaign money for both parties.



Here's where the Dems stand, re long term pandering to the extremists in Miami..

charts from www.opensecrets.org



http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.asp?ind=A1200


See? Contrary to the bovine excrement put forth by so many DUsers, the Dems are equal players in the "pandering to the exiles" game.

[Osolomia]

6. Evidently the Dems have no democratic principles at all

The huge food corporations and other multinationals are lobbying to end the embargo hence the 39 states that are already exporting to Cuba whether the biased Dems and Bush Doctrine apologists like it or not.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Kentucky joins the crowd of states trading with Cuba

>>> "Ski" to Cuba With Kentucky Made Soft Drink
Katy Crossen
WTVQ Channel 36
Jan 23, 17:40 PM EST


Havana will soon get a taste of Kentucky.

30 thousand cans of the Kentucky made soda "Ski" and "Diet Ski" are on the way to Cuba.

The trade is part of an agreement between the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the island nation.

Cuba is promising to buy seven million dollars worth of food, tobacco and wood products from Kentucky manufacturers. <<<

http://www.wtvq.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WTVQ%2FMGArticle%2FTVQ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031773274728&path=!news!localnews

I just hope selling that Kentucky soda, "Ski" isn't a terrible trick, as in unloading pure junk no one here would buy!

[Osolomia]

4. Lt. Gov. Bauer: Attack on Cuba deal political

Yet another "Castro apologist" who won't give up while Dems cling to their biased fantasies:

Sat, Jan. 24, 2004
Bauer: Attack on Cuba deal political
The Associated Press

CHARLESTON - Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer says criticism of his recent visit to Cuba to work out a trade deal is nothing more than politics.

The criticism came from Mike Campbell, son of former Gov. Carroll Campbell, who is considering a run for lieutenant governor.

In an editorial commentary in The (Charleston) Post and Courier, the younger Campbell said the $10 million trade deal should be rescinded.

"Trading with a communist dictator like Fidel Castro is not in the best interest of South Carolina," he wrote. "Now is the time, before any goods are delivered, to cease and desist any relations with this tyrant."

Bauer and state Agricultural Commissioner Charles Sharpe signed a trade deal this month with Cuba's import agency, which committed to buying $10 million worth of agricultural goods from farmers in the state.

More...
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/sunnews/news/local/7786834.htm

[Osolomia]

7. Yet another "Castro apologist" defying the "Democratic" doctrine on Cuba

Politics complicate Orthodox patriarch's visit
January 23, 2004

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) -- Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I's schedule was thrown into disarray on Friday amid disorganization and rival political forces tugging at the visit here by the spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians.

A previously planned meeting with Cuba's Roman Catholic cardinal was abruptly suspended Friday morning for unexplained reasons, then rapidly rescheduled.

U.S. diplomats scrambled to arrange a Saturday reception for the Orthodox patriarch expected to include dissidents -- people the communist government characterizes as "mercenaries." While several dissidents confirmed receiving invitations, a spokesman for the patriarch's visit said that by early Friday afternoon Bartholomew still had not received one.

Meanwhile, a reception that President Fidel Castro was to give Bartholomew Friday night was called off at mutual agreement and replaced with a dinner between the patriarch and Greek Orthodox church leaders, said Benjamin Leavenworth, the visit spokesman.

There was no official word from Bartholomew's delegation about what was occurring, but behind the scenes maneuvering was clearly threatening to politicize what was initially intended as a purely pastoral visit.

... The U.S. government encourages visitors to Cuba to meet with Castro's opponents.

U.S. Interests Section Chief James Cason, who regularly invites dissidents to gatherings with foreign visitors, was hosting the reception for the patriarch and his Greek-American supporters at his home Saturday night.

More...
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/01/23/cuba.orthodox.ap/

[Judi Lynn]

9. Didn't see your article before posting mine, Osolomia

Very interesting event(s) for sure.

So much happening there, even as _Bush plans to reverse the results of 44 years of hard work on the part of the Cuban population by re-installing the very "exile" community which triggered the revolution in the first place, sending them scurrying to Florida, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela, and occassionally Spain.

[Osolomia]

11. The Democratic Party started this farce in 1996

when they passed the Helms-Burton Act in a fit of ignorant hysteria based on a pack of lies and bullshit and are none the wiser to this day.

Since 1996 every country, including Canada and Mexico which never broke off relations with Cuba, have had to pay diplomatic homage to the US government financed "dissidents" in Cuba in order to keep the USA off their backs.

It's the Democratic* Party's continued pandering to the Miami mafia that's keeping you trade and travel banned while Batista's "exiles" do whatever the hell they want in an attempt to regain power in Cuba.

[Judi Lynn]

12. Yeah, they were definitely "played" by the right-wing extremists in Miami

President Clinton was originally disinclined to accomodate that Jesse Helms-Dan Burton monstrosity until the Cuban "exile" extremist organization, Los Hermanos al Rescate managed to pull a magical "international incident" out of their wazoo, and bring the full attention of the world to bear on the appearance of a country shooting down "exile" airplanes which had been invading Cuban air space for years.

Cuba had begged us to prohibit their invasion and harrassment tactics multiple times. They were obviously set up, and in the uproar after the Basulto organization elicited the response they were after, President Clinton apparently didn't think he could face off the propaganda storm by holding firm against them, and refusing to sign that piece of crap, pure evil Act, which other countries condemn, and have designated as internationally illegal. I understand both Mexico and Canada have passed resolustions to NOT honor the Helms-Burton atrocity.

[Osolomia]

15. Dems are still letting themselves be "played" by the Miami mafia

in defiance of the wishes of the bipartisan majority across the country and around the world:

-The Democratic Presidential Candidates on Cuba-
http://www.lawg.org/pages/new%20pages/Misc/prez-candidates1.htm

SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

[Osolomia]

30. An excellent source of straight in depth reporting on Cuba was in 1996

In the Canadian and foreign media because the international outrage to passage of the Helms-Burton Act was huge and “vehement”. At the time Jimmy Carter said it was the “stupidest” thing the USA has ever done, yet it persists to this day with the stupidity intact.

If your library has access to Lexus-Nexis try Canada’s Financial Post in particular, they did many in depth articles on Cuba throughout 1996, and Southam’s Juliet O’Neill, raided by the Mounties the other day, did a 6 part series in the Ottawa Citizen just before Conrad Black took control of the industry and coverage hasn’t been the same since. In fact, by 1997 just about every Canadian newspaper printed some obligatory lies and bullshit and trash about “police state” Cuba to please the US and I got the impression that journalists like O’Neill would rather not write anything than to have to lie about it so you don’t see much of this kind of in depth reporting anymore: e.g.

The Ottawa Citizen. 9 December 1996. Juliet O'Neill. "The Rights Agenda: The Route to Freedom in Cuba Goes Around the American Embargo." (NEXIS)

This debate has been going on for so long that the extremist minority positions of the 2004 Democratic presidential candidates, and DU’s admin, and their complicity with the Bush Doctrine on Cuba is revolting to say the least. Any Democrat who voted against your freedom to travel should not be re-elected without an R next to their name imho.

[Judi Lynn]

33. Juliet O'Neill? Thanks for the information.

I checked google and saw a bunch of current articles on her. The story about the Syrian concerns Americans, also, even if some aren't bothered by what this means for people in general.

Stories are all over the place about this:

When a government abuses its power

David Asper and Gordon Fisher
CanWest News Service


Saturday, January 24, 2004

Two landmark events this week illustrate the extent to which press freedoms can be compromised when a democratic government oversteps its powers. (snip)

Yet, on the same day this ruling was announced, warrant-bearing RCMP officers raided the home of Ottawa Citizen reporter Juliet O'Neill, who, like McIntosh, had relied on a confidential source in reporting a story involving allegations of governmental malfeasance.

The officers carted away everything they pleased, and sealed off the premises like a crime scene. (snip)

O'Neill is a seasoned journalist who has long been investigating the case of Maher Arar, the Syrian-Canadian citizen deported to Damascus by the United States. Thursday, CanWest News Service republished the Nov. 8, 2003, Ottawa Citizen article that drew the RCMP's scrutiny.

The story, based on confidential sources, is a model of journalistic excellence -- one of the few articles on the Arar file that plunged beyond the official veil of denials promulgated by Ottawa and Washington. (snip/...)

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/story.asp?id=219B006C-A380-467D-8756-C229D667D8FD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks on the background referring the sudden slide south in Canadian journalistic standards. Very interesting.

[Osolomia]

35. If Cuba raided a journalist like that DUs Bush Doctrine apologists

would be screaming human rights abuse as they cling to their hypocritical fantasies about freedom of the press in North America, no doubt about it.

[Judi Lynn]

34. Now I see.

That's the only way to get a look at "The Rights Agenda: The
Route to Freedom in Cuba Goes Around the American Embargo." (NEXIS).

Hmmmm.

Thanks for the info.

[Osolomia]

36. Most 8 year old news articles are buried in the archives by now

Here's another classic example from 1996 of what was common knowledge on the planet then but is still news to most DUhers to this day providing they take their blinders off and read the links:

ILL TRADE WINDS
July 11, 1996

In March, President Clinton furthered the United States' anti-Cuba policy by signing the Helms-Burton Act, a law that penalized companies doing business with Cuba. Canada and other U.S. allies say the bill oversteps international law. After a background report by Charles Krause, Art Eggleton, Canada's Trade Minister, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, debate the legitamacy of the Helm-Burton Act.

snip/...
ART EGGLETON: Well, I beg to differ with that. You know, illegally confiscated property, that's self-serving rhetoric, because governments all over the world, the United States and many others, whether they're in democracies or not, do, in fact, expropriate property. What the argument I think is, is that the United States Government and the United States business may have is over the compensation. Now other countries had property expropriated, including Canada, or nationalized industries, and we went after compensation. Most other countries have done that. The United States has opted not to do that for whatever reason and now are dragging us into it by saying that if we happen to be doing a deal with the Cuba Government on that property that they're going to, they're going to penalize us. That's fundamentally wrong. Go after the Cubans for compensation.

REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN: You go into Cuba knowing full well that the property that you're about to take once belonged to an American citizen and was taken illegally by the Castro regime. Castro takes over all property. He's the sole owner of all of the property there. They had had legitimate owners. Castro had shown no willingness to have any kind of system for repaying those individuals whatsoever. So these are only--

ART EGGLETON: That's not true. You see, they have done that. They have repaid individual companies. In fact, there's a lot of companies in the United States that are opposed to Helms-Burton that have lost property in Cuba because they say the proper way to do this, in accordance with international law, is to, in fact, go and negotiate compensation. And if you don't want to negotiate compensation because you don't like talking to Fidel Castro and the Cubans, go to the international court of justice to get compensation for these properties

More...
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/latin_america/helms_burton_debate_7-11.html

[Mika]

37. A picture speaks a thousand words

Here's a picture for DUhers who think that its only the repukes who pander to the extremist Cuban "exiles" in S Florida.


CANF founder and Clinton fundraiser Jorge Mas Canosa & Bill Clinton

[Osolomia]

38. Nothing to bother our little sheeple heads with

Surely campaign contributions from CANF don’t amount to a pinch of pony pee compared to multinational corporations like Archer Daniel Midlands, Cargill, etc etc etc etc.

It’s the Dems apparent lack of respect for democracy and dialogue that’s beginning to perplex me.

Naw the Bush Doctrine on Cuba and the Democratic party’s complicity with it is nothing to bother our little sheeple heads with:

22 January 2004
U.S. Condemns Cuba's Imprisonment of Human Rights Advocates
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=January&x=20040122111702ASrelliM0.6539118&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html

January 16, 2004
U.S. Official Urges Careful Planning for Democratic Transition in Cuba
Ambassador Roger F. Noriega, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Remarks at a USAID/Cuba Transition Project Seminar
http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/rm/28281.htm

16 January 2004
U.S. Official Examines Relief Strategies at Cuba Transition Conference
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=January&x=20040116155739nesnom0.3684809&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html

16 December 2003
State Department on Repression in Cuba
"The Dream Deferred: Fear and Freedom in Fidel's Cuba"
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=December&x=20031216161921relliMS0.5044062&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html

December 8, 2003
Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031208-8.html

October 15, 2003
Enforcement of U.S. Travel Restrictions to Cuba to be Enhanced
http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2003/Oct/15-270865.html

October 10, 2003
President Bush Discusses Cuba Policy in Rose Garden Speech
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031010-2.html

26 September 2003
President Bush Fully Committed to Democratic Transition in Cuba
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=September&x=20030926124736relliMS0.2089655&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html

08 May 2003
U.S. Pledges Increased Support for "Voices of Freedom" in Cuba
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/ar/us-cuba/03050806.htm

16 April 2003
U.S. to Continue Working Toward Peaceful Change in Cuba, Says Official
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/ar/us-cuba/03041604.htm

17 September 2002
State Department Official Explains U.S. Position on Cuba
Says Cuba is attempting to impede U.S. war on terrorism
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02091808.htm

24 July 2002
Bush Administration Reiterates that U.S. Policy on Cuba Remains Unchanged
Voices opposition to House vote to lift restrictions on trade, travel
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02072500.htm

11 July 2002
Bush Administration Opposes Legislative Efforts to Amend Cuba Policy
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02071606.htm

05 June 2002
State Dept. Reaffirms Cuba Has Biological Warfare Research Effort
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/arms/02060502.htm

21 May 2002
Cuba Continues to Sponsor Terrorism, Says State Department Report
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02052118.htm

21 May 2002
Reich Testifies on New Initiative for Cuba Says initiative is designed to generate peaceful change in Cuba
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02052114.htm

May 20, 2002
President Bush Announces Initiative for a New Cuba
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/05/20020520-2.html

13 May 2002
Powell Says Cuba Has Bio Weapons Research Capacity
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/arms/02051405.htm

06 May 2002
Bolton: Libya, Syria, Cuba Need Scrutiny for Weapons Programs
Under Secretary addresses WMD threats at Heritage Foundation

07 April 2002
"The United States and Cuba," by Secretary of State Colin Powell .
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02040809.htm

Profile of the USAID Cuba Program
http://www.usaid.gov/regions/lac/cu/program_report/profile.html

Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996
To seek international sanctions against the Castro government in Cuba, to plan for support of a transition government leading to a democratically elected government in Cuba, and for other purposes.
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/ar/us-cuba/libertad.htm

[Mika]

39. Its not about which side wins

Surely campaign contributions from CANF don’t amount to a pinch of pony pee compared to multinational corporations like Archer Daniel Midlands, Cargill, etc etc etc etc.

Correct. But the standoff keeps oodles of campaign money rolling in from said corporations. To members on both sides of the aisle. This is the status quo they seek. Its worked for 44 years. (The media's granting the extremists in Miami a high profile lends to the illusion that the pro trade/ anti trade debate is some kind of "balanced" debate.)




"It’s the Dems apparent lack of respect for democracy and dialogue that’s beginning to perplex me."


Its so dressed up in newspeak (all the BS pro democracy & freedom for Cuba crap) that most Americans have been indoctrinated by it.. despite having a full spectrum of resources to figure it out for themselves, and being too lazy to do any research. Why bother investigating something that they are sure they "know" about. An example of American hubris.

[Osolomia]

41. Dems have no one to blame but themselves for the Bush Doctrine on Cuba

Such complicity and hypocrisy to the core is revolting and doesn't go unnoticed in this neck of the woods.

[Judi Lynn]

8. You recall that the Greek Orthodox leader,Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

stated this week before he ever went to Cuba that he would NOT be meeting with the "dissidents" during his first trip.

Looks as if _Bush's Interests Head James Cason (undoubtedly with prompting from our State Department) decided they would override his decision by inviting him to a meeting at the Interests Section to which THEY invited the "dissidents," many of whom we are actively supporting financially.) The bustards never give up.

(snip) Posted on Sat, Jan. 24, 2004

CUBA
Politics complicates church leader's visit
Opposing political forces complicate Orthodox Christian patriarch Bartholomew I's schedule in his supposedly non-political visit to Cuba.
BY ANITA SNOW
Associated Press

HAVANA - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I's schedule was thrown into disarray Friday amid disorganization and rival political forces tugging at the visit here by the spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians.

A previously planned meeting with Cuba's Roman Catholic cardinal was suspended abruptly Friday morning for unexplained reasons, then rapidly rescheduled.

U.S. diplomats scrambled to arrange a reception today for the Orthodox patriarch expected to include dissidents, people the communist government characterizes as ``mercenaries.''

While several dissidents confirmed receiving invitations, a spokesman for the patriarch's visit said that by early Friday afternoon, Bartholomew still had not received one.

Meanwhile, a reception that President Fidel Castro was to give Bartholomew on Friday night was called off at mutual agreement and replaced with a dinner between the patriarch and Greek Orthodox church leaders, said Benjamin Leavenworth, the visit spokesman.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7785261.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No decent administration would use his ambassadors to butt in, provoke, and harrass governments hosting them as _Bush has done. True card-carrying cheats and knuckle-dragging trolls.

[guajira]

10. I've Long wondered why Castro doesn't Send Cason Packing back to US

Even if US threatens to close US Interests Section in Havana, it might be worth it to the Cubans to get rid of Cason, a so-called "diplomat" who is intent in undermining the Cuban government.

If an agent in the Cuban Interests Section in the US behaved in this way, the US State Dept. would ship them back home to Cuba - muy rapido!

[Osolomia]

16. I've long wondered why any Democrat swallows the lies and bullshit

no questions asked while ignoring the mountain of evidence at their fingertips for well over 10 years now.

-The Democratic Presidential Candidates on Cuba-
http://www.lawg.org/pages/new%20pages/Misc/prez-candidates1.htm

[Judi Lynn]

18. You bet they'd ship them back,

but not BEFORE chewing the curtains, making a LOUD noise about the outrage of a diplomat behaving so aggressively, crudely, and overstepping ALL recognized limits of acceptable behavior.

Cason has behaved as if he actually represents the governing body on that island. Nasty man.

[Osolomia]

13. More food for thought for Democratic* Bush Doctrine apologists

Getting a handle on the Cuba of tomorrow


01/24/04
Georgie Anne Geyer

Of all the dangers of political prognostication, none in our era has been more precipitous than trying to predict when Cuban president Fidel Castro would fall.

Ever since I interviewed him a number of times in the late '60s, when his revolutionary star was burning most brightly -- and even more so after I wrote his biography, "Guerrilla Prince," in 1991 -- I have been peppered with the same questions: When will he go? When will he die? Who will come after him?

... First, what should the American policy be toward Cuba?

It should be, in geopolitical power terms, to leave the island alone. Oh, please, no "regime change" thinking there! We have too checkered a history on the island to start messing around with it again.

More...
http://www.oregonlive.com/metro/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/exclude/1074949099326390.xml

[Judi Lynn]

17. Uh oh, the writer's a little goofy.

She has just enough at first glance. to seem legitimate. She's a right-wing shill, unfortunately.

Her writing is unbelievably shallow and twisted, once you start checking on her.



Implying it's right to leave Cuba alone makes her look civilized, and intelligent.

However, looking around on the internet, and looking into her writing, you're going to see she's a definite rightwingnut propagandist, unfortunately.

Cleaning up our act with Cuba, and staying out of their affairs is the only decent idea she's had!

Here's the introduction to her nasty "interview" with Rumsfeld:

(snip)
Secretary Rumsfeld Interview with Georgie Anne Geyer

(Interview with Georgie Anne Geyer, Universal Press Syndicate)

Geyer: -- but you've been doing a spectacular job.

Rumsfeld: We're trying hard. I'll tell you, it's an amazing process. Everything is just different.

Geyer: Tell me about anything you want, I've got a million questions.
(snip/...)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2001/t11112001_t1017ge.html

You get the idea now!

It's a shame that we have to read every word these buttheads write. I got the feeling there was something strange about her during the article posted above, then saw she's with "Universal Press Syndicate" in Kansas City, Missouri. Yikes.

She DID get something right, however, to her credit. HANDS OFF CUBA!

As far as I can tell so far, Universal Press Syndicate publishes Ann Coulter, William Buckley, Dr. James C. Dobson, even Christian conservative cartoons.

[Osolomia]

19. Which makes her just the sort that biased hypocritical Dems love

How else to explain the extremist minority positions of all the leading 2004 Democratic presidential contenders on Cuba?

[Judi Lynn]

21. She does seem to bend herself in knots trying to kiss up to Rumsfeld! n/t

[Osolomia]

14. Even the Chinese are more progressive than Democratic* Americans!

First Chinese tourists arrive in Cuba

Havana, Jan. 24 (VNA) -- A group of 20 Chinese tourists have been in Havana, Cuba, becoming the first since the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation in July 2003.

During their Jan. 22-25 stay in Cuba, Chinese tourists visited historical and cultural sites and landscapes in Havana and Varadero, a well-known beach in central Mantanzas province.

Recently, the two countries' aviation firms signed a letter of content for the opening of the Beijing-Havana route.

It is reported that a week-long tour of Cuba for Chinese tourists cost 2,000 USD.-Enditem

More...
http://www.vnagency.com.vn/NewsA.asp?LANGUAGE_ID=2&CATEGORY_ID=34&NEWS_ID=39785

[Judi Lynn]

22. Opening the door to Chinese tourists will definitely create a need

for more hotels, restaurants, rental cars, etc.

The only people they're NOT doing business with are non-Cuban-Americans!

Meanwhile, _Bush increases the opportunities for Cuban "exiles" and families to visit their former country in numerous daily flights from Miami, Los Angeles, and New York.

He has even increased the amounts of money they are able to carry with them to give to their relatives and friends in Cuba.

(No one seems to mind that they are a FORCE, economically, in keeping their Cuban relatives fat and happy, and the Cuban economy improved by what is it, two or three BILLION dollars a year?)

Ordinary Americans are allowed to wave bye-bye at them as they leave.

I wonder if they are allowed to bring back Cuban cigars, etc. I never took the time to try to find out.

[Osolomia]

27. China is building a hotel in Havana to meet the needs

that's part of the deal. The Americans could have had the prime building spot on the Malecon but the Cubans can't wait forever to meet their needs so they took their business elsewhere.

[Judi Lynn]

20. Montana's Democratic Senator Max Baucus has been working hard

getting good trade relations between Montana food producers and Cuba established.

This photo was taken last fall when he and Democratic Rep. Denny Rehberg completed a remarkable agreement with Cuba's Pedro Alvarez:


Baucus, Alavarez, Rehberg

Considering how much time, and energy Democrats, as well as some Republicans have invested in creating new trade, relations with Cuba, it IS odd that there are a few posters here who revile the hard work being done by prominent Democrats, isn't it? Most Democrats in both the House and Senate are fully behind this effort.

[Osolomia]

23. Most Dems, but are Lieberman, Edwards, Kerry, Gephart fully behind it?

Or Dean, or Clark?

If one of them wins in November what will they do about "Castro's Cuba" and the hostile and unethical emabargo and travel ban?

Democratic Presidential Candidates on Cuba
Of the current democratic hopefuls, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is the only one who supports an end to the embargo.

http://www.lawg.org/Misc/prez-candidates1.htm

[Judi Lynn]

24. So to placate these right-wing looneytoons, to avoid having to answer

every slimey, underhanded insult and charge of "Castro lover," "commie," etc., etc. and possibly having to step up their personal security due to BOMBS, they just keep shucking and grinning, and hoping the sane Americans will forgive them for not standing up for what's right around these murderous fanatics who presume to steer American policy with Cuba.

They've seen Colorado Democratic Representative David Skaggs get shredded by Florida Cuban "exile" Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart when he tried to remove the absurd "TV Marti" pork project ($12,000,000 yearly gift to Miami "exiles"), they've seen Chilean ambassador Orlando Letelier's* car bombed on the streets of Washington D.C.. Could be they're just "fraidy cats."

*In a major terrorist attack on US soil, on Sept. 21, 1976, the exiled Chilean diplomat and critic of the CIA-backed Pinochet regime in Chile Orlando Letelier was assassinated in Washington DC by a team of Chileans, a CIA Agent, & Cuban-exiles.
http://site.www.umb.edu/human_rights/calendar/

[Osolomia]

26. So long as the Dems let the right wing extremists walk all over them

they will.

So the threat of domestic terrorism is the reason for the USA's hostile and unethical embargo against Cuba all these years and for many more to come?

[Judi Lynn]

29. I'll bet in some cases it is!

Makes me wonder if it's the reason why local Florida politicians, like Peter Deutsch, that really cool Robert Wexler (as I used to think), Alcee Hastings, etc. all defer to these maniacs.

Speaking of domestic terrorism, you remember it was a couple of prominent Democrats who got the anthrax, too!

Not to mention prominent Democrats getting assassinated over the years. No right-wing assassinations, other than the attack on a right-winger, George Wallace, who was probably more of an uncouth embarrassment than anything else, and easily dispensible.

I don't think it's impossible, but it's time someone stood up to these bullies, isn't it?

[Osolomia]

32. Nothing's going to change until they do stand up to Bush's kingmakers

who are credited with stealing the last election by hook or by crook.

[Judi Lynn]

25. Thinking about your question, I focused on Gephart

and it hit me that I heard John Ashcroft PERSONALLY in a debate with Governor Mel Carnahan, the weekend before Gov. Carnahan was killed in an airplane accident say, as did Mel Carnahan, that it was right to remove the embargo on Cuba.

Since becoming a _Bushie he has had to swallow his opinion, of course.

Also, from Missouri, Gephart's state is Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who has been to Cuba several times for Missouri, trying to arrange trade.

I found this item which you might find worth a glance, from 2002:

STATEMENT OF
AMERICANS FOR HUMANITARIAN TRADE WITH CUBA
TO THE
SENATE COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION
SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOREIGN COMMERCE, and TOURISM
REGARDING U.S. TRADE POLICY WITH CUBA



Presented by
Lissa Weinmann
Executive Director



May 21, 2002Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member and members of the Committee, I am Lissa Weinmann, Executive Director of Americans For Humanitarian Trade With Cuba (AHTC). AHTC is a national group of prominent Americans who advocate normal trade of food and medical products between the U.S. and Cuba. We know such trade would be mutually beneficial to both nations.We also believe our country has a moral obligation to allow the Cuban and American people to enjoy the healthy fruits of such trade. AHTC was established in January 1998 to take action in response to a series of important medical reports that showed the many ways the U.S. food and medicine embargo on Cuba undermines the health of ordinary Cubans. Since then, we’ve discovered that the embargo also hurts ordinary Americans.

We tapped into a latent interest that astounded us. AHTC has grown to encompass 23 individual state councils, comprised of farmers, physicians, mayors and elected officials, Cuban Americans, religious leaders, ports and companies. The AHTC Advisory Council includes David Rockefeller, former U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills, President Reagan’s National Security Adviser Frank Carlucci, former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker, former U.S. Surgeon General Julius Richmond, former assistant secretary of State John C. Whitehead, Miami Cuban American leader Silvia Wilhelm, Dwayne Andreas of Archer Daniels Midland, Peter Coors of Coors Brewing Company, Bob Edgar, a former U.S. Representative and current head of the National Council of Churches, Craig Fuller, former chief of staff for Vice President George Bush, Sam Gibbons, a 34-year representative from Tampa, Phil Baum for the National Jewish Congress, film director Francis Ford Coppola, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Bob Odom and many other familiar names, all leaders representing the broad national support for change. We appreciate the opportunity to testify on the important issue of the U.S. trade policy with Cuba.

am going to be brief and blunt, because the situation we face is serious and deeply affects the very fiber of our democratic process. According to numerous polls, the American people overwhelmingly support free trade in food and medical products to Cuba. According to numerous votes, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives support free and unfettered sales of food and medical products to Cuba. Despite the support, numerous obstacles remain that make food and medical trade with Cuba inaccessible to the public at large.
(snip/...)

http://www.ahtc.org/AHTCTestimony02.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lisa Weinman mentioned there were 28 states involved in the effort at the time of her speech, May 21, 2002. I note that you pointed out there are 39 states connected to Cuba trade now.

Now that's a majority, we would think.

[Osolomia]

28. It's a major travesty of democracy for the Dem presidential candidates

to be ignoring the majority and standing with the extremist right wing minority in this internet day and bushwhacked age imho.

[Judi Lynn]

31. You've got THAT right. Downright shameful. Not statesman-like. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

40. Today's the day in Havana for the first Christian Orthodox church service

Patriarch to consecrate cathedral today
Published January 25, 2004


havana · For decades Cuba's small Greek and Russian Orthodox communities have conducted their religious services at Catholic churches, office buildings and private homes, never finding a permanent sanctuary.

That changed today when the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians, was scheduled to consecrate the tiny new St. Nicholas Cathedral in Havana, choosing this formerly atheist country as the first Latin American destination ever for an Orthodox patriarch.

The most important religious figure to visit Havana since Pope John Paul II's historic trip, Bartholomew was greeted on his arrival from Turkey on Wednesday by Fidel Castro, whose government presented the cathedral to the Orthodox community as a gift.

Bartholomew brings a "message of religious liberties and the respect of man" to Cuba, said Metropolitan Athenagoras, the Greek orthodox archbishop for Central America and the Caribbean.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-abauza25jan25,0,1857131.column?coll=sfla-news-nationworld