Barack Obama's shameful naiveté about Cuba caused him to be picketed this weekend in Miami by a dedicated and influential group of Cuban-Americans, a group trying to inform the public that Obama has placed among his top advisors two Democrats who played key roles in the sad debacle involving Elian Gonzalez's return to Communist Cuba.Gregory Craig (top photo), Obama's current go-to guy on Latin America, served Fidel Castro's interests as he played lawyer for Elain's father, while Eric Holder (bottom photo), now chief of Obama's vice-presidential selection team, was a Deputy Attorney General under Janet Reno.
“My fear is that those who collaborated with the Cuba's communist government and made a great mistake with a defenseless child,” said Elian's Miami uncle, Delfin Gonzalez, “will make the same mistake again against this nation that is facing danger from terrorism.”
As yet, Obama refuses to even speak about the matter, callously dismissing the entire tragedy as old news. "That was eight years ago. Obviously it was a wrenching situation for the families, but I'm running for president in 2008..."
But the issue isn't one that Cuban-Americans are likely to forget as easily as Obama has -- and that may come back to haunt him. As Humberto Fontova writes in this fine Town Hall piece, "Florida holds 27 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. New Jersey holds 15 electoral votes, and the largest Cuban-American community after Florida. So 16 percent of the 270 electoral votes could depend on a candidates' professed policy towards Stalinist Cuba. Obama knows this and plans to woo a few of these these overwhelmingly Republican voters. Well, he's got his work cut out for himself."
You can, of course, help to increase Senator Obama's workload as you communicate to friends the details of this story. A simple beginning is to forward this post to others on your e-mail list -- a simple matter when you use the button that is located at the end of each Vital Signs post. Let's do what we can to make sure the cause of freedom for Cuba is one shared by all Americans.
FYI -- Humberto Fontova, author of Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who idolize Him and Fidel; Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant, has only recently signed on as a Town Hall columnist. You can review his articles under their banner here. You can also keep abreast of Mr. Fontova at his home page.
