An 'endorsement' no candidate wants: Fidel favors Barack

Just what the presidential candidates have been waiting for: Cuba's Fidel Castro is weighing in on the campaign.

The 81-year-old leader of the Cuban revolution may have given up his position as the country's president, but he writes regularly for the Communist Party newspaper, Granma -- and in a column in Monday's edition ...

he calls Barack Obama "the most advanced candidate" in the race. (That's the English translation as provided by Associated Press and Reuters; the Granma English-language site translates his characterization as "this strong candidate." The article in the original Spanish is here.)

"I feel no resentment towards him, for he is not responsible for the crimes perpetrated against Cuba and humanity," Castro wrote. "Were I to defend him, I would do his adversaries an enormous favor."

However, he continued (as translated by Granma), Obama's remarks last week to the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami -- in which the Democratic front-runner said he would maintain a form of the trade embargo that has been in place for about 50 years but ease some restrictions on visits and money transfers to relatives -- "may be formulated as follows: hunger for the nation, remittances as charitable hand-outs and visits to Cuba as propaganda for consumerism and the unsustainable way of life behind it." In other words, not so good.

Last Friday Castro had sharp words (Spanish here) for the Republicans' presumptive nominee, John McCain, and the current occupant of the Oval Office, President Bush. McCain gave a hard-line speech in favor of continued isolation last week, and Bush announced a change in policy that would allow U.S. residents to send cellphones to relatives in Cuba.

So far (and perhaps to her relief), the typically loquacious Castro has offered nothing on Hillary Clinton. Although last summer he did opine that a Clinton-Obama ticket would be "invincible."

--Leslie Hoffecker

Comments

[BJ]

Do we see a subtle preference for Clinton?

Obviously, Castro looks at Obama the same way Khrushchev looked upon JFK... "intelligent but inexperienced".

Wait your turn Obama.

[tom]

the time has long passed to end our boycott..imbargo or whatever you want to call it of cuba..i think we should have done this 30 years ago..we are the only ones not allowed to go to cuba..canada..mexico..china..russia and so on and so on travel there no problem..we are out of touch with the world.

[J Cline]

First Hamas, now Castro, shilling for Obama?

I didn't know these characters were Democratic superdelegates!

They sure know how to pick a winner... lol.

[jim sweet]

BJ--having a hard time here in Realityland?

[No More Biased Press]

Funny how you don't make the headline "Castro endorses Obama".

If it were Hillary getting this endorsement, you would make a field day about it.

Shame on you, for you are a biased bunch of idiots who have illegal access to control the press.

Go Hillary '08

[Lawrence]

Hey tom, stop being so dramatic.

We are NOT out of touch with the world JUST because we cant travel to cuba. The United States has the right to stand up for what it believes in and go about defending it however it may choose to as long as its legal (UN).... Its called sovereignty. Its not our fault cuba can't float without our help.... its called survival of the fittest (essential for existance) ;-)

Maybe cuba should join a REAL nation since it looks more like a big JAIL

[LonghornMama]

This is the kind of respect that Obama engenders. This is from a Pakistani newspaper today (oh, I don't care about this, but remember, Obama has pandered nonstop to Hamas courtesy of his friend, Mr. Khalidi. Doesn't sound like the Pakistanis got the memo...)

Robert Clements

With Obama inching closer and closer to the Democrat nomination everybody expects Hillary Clinton to call Barack one of these days and offer herself as his running mate. It was a late night call Barack received last night.

“Hiya Barack it’s me Hillary!”“Hello ma’am I bin waitin’ fer yer call!”

“I know where the cutlery is stored, the linen and bedsheets kept and which window the birdfeed can be put!” “Whatcha talkin’ about ma’am?” “Bout’ the White House silly! I know everytin’ about that house. I stayed there Obama. T’was my home fer eight long years, and it was pretty long them years, what with me wonderin’ what Bill was doin’ downstairs every night!”

“I don’t understand!” said a flabbergasted Obama. “What d’you want ma’am?” “I want to help you!” “How you aimin’ to do that?”

“Like I said, I know where the upholstery and dishes, the linen and bed spreads are!” “I heard that!” “I know how to get from the Oval room to the Lincoln room in five seconds flat!”

“Gee that be pretty fast ma’am!” “I can mow them lawns in jes’ half a day!” “Them quite some lawns how you do it so quick?” “Experience Obama, experience! When you stayed in a house fer….”

“Eight long years!” completed Obama, “You get to know everythin’ what?”

“Yeah!” said Hillary, “Everythin’! You got be very careful when cleanin’ de cobwebs in de Oval room Barack!” “Why ma’am?” “Because we don’t want any dust fallin’ on old Abe’s picture do we?” “Oh no ma’am not on Old Abe, its because of Abe that I be standin’ fer president!”

“And remember when you come out of the Whitehouse you got to bow your head son!” “Why is dat ma’am? Why I got to be so respectful?” “Because a helicopter waits for de President outside and we don’t want yer head chopped off do we?”

“Gee ma’am I didn’t know there be so much to learn! You gonna teach me all this if I make you my VP?”

“Of course not Obama, I’m jes tryin’ to show you how difficult its gonna be fer you to be President, and since I know de house I might as well enter it as President and get things goin’ from day one what?” Obama turned wearily to his wife, “You know where de linen are kept in de big white house?” “No!” she said.

“Hillary knows!” said Obama hopelessly. “America don’t need a president who knows where de bed sheets be put and de cutlery be kept,” said Mrs Obama, “tell her we need a President who can put food back on de table and some money back in de bank..!”

And he wiped his head with a kerchief.

[Jim Jones]

Reason of the day (version 76) for Clinton to continue her candidacy:

Clinton - Castro's Candidate.

Now if that doesn't get the supers off their butts to support her, I don't know what will.

[Conservative Buyer- CA]

I can think of how many ways this story has been spun biased for McCain.

For those of you Jacksonian Republicans twisting this into a fear tactic, it's not gonna work.

The next thing I'm gonna hear is why do I know a guy who's last name is Castro. It would be asinine to think I'm a communist because I hang around a guy who's last name is Castro.

Give me a break with this endorsement story. It's all loaded up with McCain on the other end.

[allison, california]

Obama's messages have been empty speeches, lacking details and substance. It is lacking sincerity. He could not possiblity base his campaign on accomplishments so he embraces negative campaigning and focus on character assassination otherwise he would not go very far. On top of being the LEAST qualified candidate in the history of America, he top it off with his associations to anti-american groups like Bill Ayers, Farrakhan, Hamas, Rev Wright, Tony Rezko, and his appeasement loving groups like Iran and Cuba.

AMERICA FUTURE IS TOO PRECIOUS.
I DON'T GAMBLE, NEITHER SHOULD YOU.
VOTE FOR CHANGE THAT IS TESTED,
NOT CHANGE BY CHANCE.
VOTE SMART!
VOTE HILLARY!

Voting for Bush is like writing a check for trilions of dollars to the white house.
Voting for Obama is like writing a blank check to the white house. Don't vote for an unknown!

BOTTOM LINE IS we do what is best for America, not because we need to obey the party leaders in unifying the democrat party. The Party leader should stay out of the race. The more involved they are the greater the mess has became. They and DNC are better off working on fixing the BROKEN democrat primary election. It is like a basketball game, when there is a foul as a referee immediately calls 'foul', not 3 months later! it is one example of a complete disgrace. Get rid of caucuses!

Obama is clueless of the people in Trinity Church.
He is clueless of small towns of bitter people.
He is clueless of where his campaign money comes from.
He is clueless with appeasement and national security.
He is clueless of America.

Vote Smart! Vote McCain!

[Fed Up Indy]

Is Fidel Castro a super delegate?

That is the only endorsement Obambi is taking at the moment.

Work Ethic, what work ethic? Voting present and running for PoTUS after 6 months on the senate?

Ummm.

[mona]

Of course all the leaders of various countries will endorse Obama. If I were a leader of a foreign country, I would prefer the United States of America elect the biggest non experienced empty suit to be the leader of the free world. Let me count how many ways that would benefit me if the United States was being lead by the biggest idiot ever elected.

[Young Atheart]

Castro is just confirming what US enemies have known for years - that paranoid Americans will screw up their own policies and elections just to do the opposite of what the enemies say.

Saddam's "mother of all wars" and similar comments helped Bush drum up support for the Iraq war from Americans still fearful after 911 - Tax payer cost = $1,000,000,000,000 and counting.

Obama is a man that judges intent and context, not just words. We saw this ability in his speech on the war in 2002 AND in his reactions to Rev. Wright.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech

A real leader needs to judge intent before committing this country to rash action or even categorical condemnation.

[Natalie]

Here we go again Liberal Democrats without knowledge of the rest of the world. The Obama camp is now making un-intelligence comments about Cuba.

Americans can travel to Cuba as they wish. They can travel directly via Mexico or any other country except the USA. The Cubans that sacrifice their lives and the lives of their love ones do not want to return to Cuba until the Castro regime is gone even if it takes 100 years!

When you travel to Cuba you might be ask some questions but, that does not mean that a regular American citizen can not travel to Cuba as they wish. However, if you do have a sensitive American government job you might have to answer lots and lots of questions and the purpose/reason of your traveling to a communist country.

What Obama and the Liberal/Democrats would like to create with the Cuban-Americans is the same type of dependency that the Mexican citizens here in the US have with their families in Mexico.

Most Mexican citizens come to the USA illegally and send money back to Mexico. The money send back to Mexico by Mexican citizens for the last few years has been greater than Mexico’s own Tourism Industry. What incentive does the Mexican government have to fix their country and stop Mexican citizens from crossing the US border? NONE! It is a win-win situation for Mexico because they have less people to provide health care, food shelter and jobs.

Obama is trying to buy Cuban American votes by basically promising the same system as the Mexican citizens have here in the USA with their own country of Mexico...

The only problem with the Obama camp and the rest of the Liberal Democrats is their ignorance regarding the Cuban citizens and the Cuban-Americans. Cuban citizens and Cuban Americans hate their communist government and want very little help monetary or not to their native Cuba. The only help they want is for the USA to help get rid of the Castro regime. Cubans do not need the money. They do not operate like the Mexican people.

[BJ]

Jim Sweet,

I am in realityland...

You're the looney tune. Re-read the article and see where it said Castro opined about a "CLINTON-OBAMA" ticket.

[theresa denton]

Even though Castro is an evil abusive political figure, he knows that Senator Obama is "an extremely brillant and wise man", and that possibly for once in history, everyone in the entire world might actually be able to at least sit down and listen to others without resorting to death and destruction with Senator Obama as President!

Obama 2008

[deBeer]

Young Atheart "Obama is a man that judges intent and context, not just words" Hmmm He spent how many years with Rev Wright before he realized the guy was a dufas? LOL

[orilade ojo]

why not Fidel? Is he not human like others. The fact remains that even the dead are supporting Obama spiritually becuase he is the only person that can well position American in the world history.

War, Occupation, proliferation and hatred all over the world will stop with OBAMA AS PRESIDENT.

The train is moving, lets join hands to support OBAMA

[Al]

Castro is a big fat hypocrite! Who is he to talk about crimes against humanity, when he is one of the biggest perpetrators of all times. He slaughtered tens of thousands of political opponents when he illegally seized power in Cuba, and formed a corrupt dictatorship. Any one here supporting him is a socialist. If they don't like the US system, do us all a favor and move to Cuba!

[j2tharome]

Fidel's stupid comments are relegated to back of Granma. Who cares what this moron has to say! The only person responsible for the decay Cuba is facing is Castro himself. Him and his brother have a tight grip on Cuba, and as long as a) Cuba returns land stolen from U.S. companies, b) political prisoners are freed without having to go to forced exile, and c) Cuba maintains supervised, multi-party elections the embargo SHOULD STAY!!