Cuba offers to donate money to hurricane victims (from baseball tourny)

[Mika]

Cuba offers to donate money to hurricane victims as baseball reapplies for permit
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-1223cubabaseball,0,5585566.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines

HAVANA -- Hours after U.S. baseball officials reapplied for a permit that would allow Cuba to join next year's inaugural World Baseball Classic, the island's communist government said it would donate any money received at the tournament to hurricane victims.

Officials from Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association reapplied Thursday to the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, seeking permission for Cuba to play in the 16-team tournament, scheduled for March 3-20.

The permit is required because of U.S. laws and regulations governing certain transactions with Cuba, and the Bush administration last week denied the first request, seemingly because Cubans would have received money.

Once again, Cuba takes the high road while _{the Bushbots take the low road.}

[Judi Lynn]

1. Couldn't get any lower. How stunningly shabby these Bush creeps are.

From the article:

Earlier in the day, Puerto Rican athletic officials said San Juan should withdraw as a host city if the Cubans aren't allowed to participate.

And in Miami, a congressman who opposes Fidel Castro's communist government met with several major league players, hoping to form a team of Cuban defectors that could play in the 16-team tournament.

Israel Roldan, president of the Baseball Federation of Puerto Rico, and Hector Cardona, president of the U.S. island territory's Olympic Committee, opposed the decision by the Treasury Department.

``What we are saying is that we should renounce our position as host if Cuba is not permitted to compete,'' Roldan said. Roldan sent a letter on Wednesday to International Baseball Federation president Aldo Notari saying the island would decline to be a venue because of the U.S. government's decision.
(snip)

Even countries dependent on U.S. largesse see the iniquity so clearly they have to speak out. It's horrid when huge, powerful bullies try to shove little ones around just for fun. It undercuts their credibility at all levels.

I can only imagine how terrific that "exile" baseball team would be. Holy expletive!

[Mika]

2. Its amazing just how low Diaz-Balart is willing to stoop.

Even suggesting that "exiles" who have come to the US (via the Cuban Adjustment Act) to reap multimillion dollar contracts should represent the country they left for money is simply laughable. But then again, it is consistent with their pattern of behavior in S Fla.

[sasha031]

3. it's amazing how a minority of pinheads

can make life impossible for the rest of us.

[mom cat]

4. Those commies are caring about poor people again!

[RamboLiberal]

5. My local paper - Pittsburgh Post Gazette had great editorial

on this slamming Bush Admin.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05358/627333.stm

Editorial: It's no game / Unsportsmanlike conduct on the Baseball Classic

<snip>

The Bush administration has at least two possible motives in keeping the Cubans out. The first comes from the fact that President Bush's brother, Jeb, is governor of Florida, the center of Cuban-American exile activity in the United States. It may be that the Cuban exiles have offered to finance the governor's run for the presidency in 2008 in return for keeping the Cuban players out.
A second possibility is that some of President Bush's former friends and colleagues among Major League Baseball's owners may not wish to see the Cubans come to the United States and risk their high-priced stars suffering humiliating losses at the hands of the islanders.

Whatever the motive is, there are some potentially serious problems in sight if the Bush administration does not change its decision. First, some other countries may pull their teams out of the World Classic if the United States is going to insist on being exclusive about the event and reject players from a major baseball power for political reasons. A second possibility, already being sought, is for American baseball players and teams to boycott the event if the Cubans are not included. A quick glance at the rosters of U.S. baseball teams reveals just how many of their players -- their stars -- are of Hispanic origin and would be likely to join a boycott.

Such a boycott would be appropriate, would probably kill the World Baseball Classic and also would jeopardize U.S. chances to host future exciting and lucrative competitions, including the Olympic Games. The Bush administration needs to change this decision before any more damage is done.

[Mika]

6. I hope the players and other countries do boycott!

Its about time that _BushCrimeInc gets its due, re Cuba policy.


Thanks for posting that ed.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Comments from Wayne S. Smith, former U.S. Interests Section head in Cuba

Bullying Cuba out of ballpark
By Wayne S. Smith
Originally published December 27, 2005

The Treasury Department's recent announcement that it would not grant a license for a Cuban baseball team to participate in the World Baseball Classic planned for March was deeply disappointing but hardly a surprise.

On the contrary, it was in keeping with the Bush administration's policy of trying to seal off all contact with the Caribbean island. Cuban academics are no longer given visas to come to the United States for conferences. American scholars find it increasingly difficult to carry out programs in Cuba because of tightening U.S. restrictions.

Delegations of Cuban religious leaders are more often than not refused visas to come to the United States. Even Cuban-Americans are barred from annual visits to their families on the island; rather, they can visit only once every three years, and there are no emergency provisions. If a Cuban-American visits his mother in June and receives word in September that the mother is dying, too bad. He can't go back to be at her bedside. No, he will have to wait three years and then visit her grave.

Against that background, it was expected that the Bush administration would bar Cuba from the World Baseball Classic. The reason given by the Treasury Department was that the U.S. embargo against Cuba "prohibits entering into contracts in which Cuba or Cuban nationals have an interest."
(snip)

Baltimoreans will be especially puzzled by the Bush administration's refusal to permit Cuban participation. They, after all, remember that a Cuban team played in Baltimore against the Orioles in 1999 - and won - after the Orioles had played in Havana - and won - a few months before. Didn't that require a contract?
(snip/...)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.baseball27dec27,1,6350386.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines

[Judi Lynn]

8. Venezuela Offers to Host Baseball Tourney

Associated Press
Venezuela Offers to Host Baseball Tourney
By JORGE RUEDA , 12.28.2005, 03:31 PM

Venezuela offered to host part of next year's World Baseball Classic in place of Puerto Rico and suggested moving the final to Canada, proposals aimed at keeping Cuba in the 16-team tournament.

Such an arrangement would open the way for communist-led Cuba to participate in the first World Cup-style baseball tournament. Cuba is banned from playing on U.S. soil, and Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth.

"We hope that the United States' government changes its position," Edwin Zerpa, president of the government-run Venezuelan Baseball Federation, said Wednesday. "But, if not, we propose that Group C play in Caracas. We don't approve of Cuba's exclusion."

Only teams in Group C - Olympic champion Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands and Panama - would be invited to play in Venezuela, with the final in Canada, Zerpa told The Associated Press by telephone.
(snip/...)

http://www.forbes.com/business/healthcare/feeds/ap/2005/12/28/ap2417692.html