Cuba, Honduras, Obama And The Democrats

I'm less concerned about what this all means in terms of Cuba, than how it begins to play out in the Middle-East, Europe and Asia. We will likely be abandoning some friendships and strengthening our enemies at taxpayer expense under Obama more significantly than we have ever done before, even under Carter. And we know what a disaster that proved to be.

As I recently suggested, there are no coincidences in politics. Michelle Malkin notes Democrat Diane Watson singing the praises of Cuba and Castro:

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....)

Add to that Richardson's non-exoneration, his being in Cuba right now, and the alleged out of the blue briefing on his talks to Obama next week - toss in what looks to be our cutting off aid to Honduras for good measure ... and the circle begins to square. Freedom and democracy don't matter to Obama's foreign policy. We must be nice to long standing enemies and no longer stand for principle around the world.

It appears there may be at least two reasons why Richardson was always going to walk. Not only has he been positioning himself to lead talks between Cuba and the US - he's been in Cuba all week - the scandal might be part of a fairly broad one involving a large number of highly positioned Democrats.

Comments

[mark l.]

foreign aid to honudras is a joke.

"The official said that $215 million in grant funding from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation to Honduras would also have to end should Clinton make the determination that a military coup took place."

-from the reuters article.

another source?
"The $215 million in Millennium Challenge funds granted to Honduras for a five-year period ending in 2010 are aimed at increasing farm productivity and improving transportation infrastructure to reduce the cost of getting agricultural goods to market."

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/db20090629_337856.htm

so...small nitpicking with reuters, but the 215 million has largely already been spent. They fail to acknowledge that the 215 million was paid out over several years, with 2010 being the final year.

the aid we give honduras per year, is less than one of the 8 jets congress has requested.

[Philip McDaniel]

True, Mark, but I believe it is intended to send a signal to Honduras and to the rest of Central and South America -- especially Colombia: we are siding with the socialists. Get with the program or face the consequences.

Aside from that, this is the typical leftist's tactic of slapping down someone who is perceived to be weak and on the other side. Our scumbags in Washington are true to form.

[joyMc]

Diane Watson clearly is retarded. And those who voted for her have to be as well. It is amazing what passes for political discourse when the real motive is increasing ones dole from the taxpayer. Does anyone in Watson's district not notice the obvious that people are and have long been literally dying to get out of Cuba? They sneak out in droves in the dead of night in leaky boats through shark infested waters for God sake.They can't wait to get out of this putrid place known as Cuba. Those who make it tell stories of an unbearably horrible life there. Watson's constituents must be too busy keeping up with the Michael Jackson case to notice the absolute mind numbing stupidity of her ramblings.

[mark l.]

honduras is an incredibly strategic country...

the refusal of the paltry funding the us has thus far provided in the past and offerred for the future is like turning on a bug lamp to chavez, seeking to expand his dictatorial influences.

the road block? never really has been the US.
it is the catholic church.

even if we drop all funding for honduras, i think chavez is misinterepetting the conflict he faces. he doesn't get honduras until he expels the "forces" of the vatican, which have made a far larger investment in honduras. I actually wouldn't mind it that much to watch chavez overextend his money and forces, while simultaneously increasing anti-chavez sentiment accross the region.

in many ways, too much US funding would have weakened the catholic hands on the wheel. now they are going to be the only 'force of good' working in country.

[Mike]

"Freedom and democracy don't matter to Obama's foreign policy."

Wrong on that one, Dan; they matter very much to our God-Emperor. He's staunchly opposed to them, and will make every effort to undermine them anytime and anywhere he figures he can get away with it.