McClatchy: Clinton joins McCain in criticism of Obama on Cuba

[babylonsister]

Clinton joins McCain in criticism of Obama on Cuba
By Lesley Clark | McClatchy Newspapers

* Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2008


WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton has joined Republican rival John McCain in criticizing Barack Obama for suggesting he would meet with Cuba's newly elected leader, Raul Castro.

Delivering what her campaign billed as a ''major foreign policy'' speech here on Monday, Clinton sought to cast her Democratic rival as inexperienced for saying that he would meet with Castro without preconditions.

''We need to engage with our allies in Latin America and Europe to encourage Cuba on to the right path,'' Clinton said in the speech at George Washington University. ``But we simply cannot legitimize rogue regimes or weaken American prestige by impulsively agreeing to presidential level talks that have no preconditions. It may sound good but it doesn't meet the real world test of foreign policy.''

Castro was elected on Sunday by Cuba's National Assembly to replace his brother Fidel, who announced his retirement last week.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/28734.html

And a dissenting opinion...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=339998

[peacetalksforall]

1. Clinton is a Republican on this position and Obama was one on

Saturday or Sunday or whenever the changeover was official, then he got enlightened by a few of us.

48 years.

Forty-eight years.

So that's OK Hillary and John - it's hard to break a habit.
And that's OK Barak - it's hard not to repeat what you've always heard.

Best to think anew. Best to rethink. Best to clear the head.

We need a lot of embedded thought clearing in this country.

But, the longer it goes on, the happier Ileana and her buddies will be. And the longer the leaders in Washington will be for the money that comes to them full circle. From our pockets to our leaders' pockets.

Cuba/Castro hate means money laundering going on.

Best laugh of the 48 years - embargo on Cuba whiel billions have been sent from Castro hating citizens and residents in the U.S. to relatives in Cuba.

Another laugh - tv propaganda directed to Cuba - blocked out by Cuba around Havana. A small per cent of people on the rest of the island have no tv. Big money maker for government handouts in the U.S.

[AlinPA]

2. I think she and McCain might be on a different page than most Americans. I don't have

any poll data to back up that statement, but I'm an old guy who has heard a lot about it from a lot of people, including people with Cuban background and a lot of business people.

[babylonsister]

3. I think so, too. I like the possibilities of at least talking to other

leaders instead of discounting the idea from the get-go. Diplomacy used to work fine; seems now it's a foreign concept.

[madrchsod]

4. another low for hillary

even the hint of agreeing with big john is disgusting. maybe bill was right-hillary and john really are very good friends who think they deserve to run against each other...

[Peace Patriot]

5. McCain is not the only one Clinton is aligned with. Here's her full quote...

"If I am entrusted with the presidency, America will have the courage, once again, to meet with our adversaries. But I will not be penciling in the leaders of Iran or North Korea or Venezuela or Cuba on the presidential calendar without preconditions, until we have assessed through lower level diplomacy, the motivations and intentions of these dictators. --Hillary Clinton (at GW University, 2/25/08)
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/speech/view/?id=6196

And here's her partner in demonization of Hugo Chavez...

"The Smart Way to Beat Tyrants Like Chávez," by Donald Rumsfeld, 12/1/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/30/AR2007113001800.html

I'm fairly certain that Rumsfeld has Oil War II: South America all mapped out. In fact, I think the plan is in motion. Exxon Mobil's part is to put the squeeze on Venezuela, which it did last week (by taking legal action to freeze $12 billion in Venezuela's assets, over a dispute about Venezuela's 60% share in Venezuela's own oil--a deal that Norway's Statoil, France's Total, British BP, Conoco and even Chevron think is reasonable), to destabilize Venezuela's economy, and cause unrest and civil disorder, and then, as Rumsfeld puts it, for the U.S. to "act swiftly" in support of "friends and allies" in South America (i.e., fascist thugs planning coups)--to topple the democratic government of Venezuela and likely also Bolivia; in fact, they may go after Bolivia first, and then go after the bigger oil field, Venezuela.

The only question I have is whether or not Clinton is a colluder in this plan, or just shockingly uninformed about South America. I fear the former, although the latter is not really forgivable either.

Chavez is not a "dictator." Ask the people of Venezuela, who have elected him with ever increasing margins (63% in Dec 06) over the last ten years, in elections that put our own to shame for their transparency. Ask the poor of Venezuela where Venezuela's oil profits are now going, and who is responsible for that. Ask Chavez allies Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia (in a largely indigenous country), U.S. educated leftist economist Rafael Correa, president of Ecuador, leftist Cristina Fernandez Kirchner, the new president of Argentina, or Lula da Silva, the former steelworker and president of Brazil. Ask almost anyone in South America, "Is Chavez a dictator?", and most the leaders of South America and the overwhelming majority of the people, will laugh in your face. The South Americans are well aware of who the real "dictators" are. And leaders like Morales, Correa, Fernandez and da Silva have strongly come to Chavez's defense when these true "dictators" have attacked him.

When word came down a couple of years ago, from on high in Washington, to the leaders of South America, that they must "isolate" Chavez and Venezuela, Nestor Kirchner (former president of Argentina) replied, "But he is my brother!" That is the attitude, and that is the reality, in South America--with leftist governments elected in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Nicaragua (and likely also Paraguay this year)--a peaceful,lawful, democratic, social and political revolution that covers nearly the whole continent, and of which Chavez is a key leader.

In one fell swoop, Clinton managed to insult half the hemisphere. To call their judgment of Chavez into question. To call their close friendships and alliances with him into question. To call their cooperative projects with him into question. To call his government's, and all of their, good works into question--in seeking social justice for the poor, and peaceful democratic change for the better. And she aligned herself with Rumsfeld and with the hideous fascists in Colombia, who chainsaw union organizers and throw their body parts into mass graves, on behalf of Drummond Coal, Chiquita, Exxon Mobil & brethren.

I don't know if we can prevent this dreadful Rumsfeld war plan from going forward. I think that the South Americans will handle it themselves, and fend it off. They are much savvier and stronger than we North Americans are, in dealing with Bushite greed and mass murder. But I hope, for the sake of our honor and good name, for the sake of recompense for past U.S. crimes of great magnitude against Latin America, that is, for the sake of our very souls as Americans, that we can help them, by restoring our own democracy and our ability to hold our leaders to account.