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Or sometimes politicians make Freudian slips.

And other times, they are set up.

It's got to be one or the other.

Nobody is that stupid.

What's next? "Heil Hitler!" in a room of Jews?

Idiot.

Oh man, that's one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. Thanks!

El pobre .... he's not a bad lot, but apparently all those years among the leftists in Mass have taken their toll.

The rule is never blame on malice what can be explained as incompetence. However, Romney needs to fire his speachwriter...

Still while we have his attention....

Personally, I'm sick of politician who show so little respect for voters that they don't bother doing their homework. I mean how hard would a phone call have been?

Oh Jesus! I can just imagine what the "Granny" will do with that one! I can see the headlines: "Republican presidential candidate shouts Patria o Muerte" in Miami rally. How could someone with a Cubanamrican for a media consultant commit such a faux pas and be so insensitive? Someone did not do his homework in Mitch's camp. I think I agree with the person who posted that said he has spent too much time in Mass.

Romney: "Hello Southwest Airlines?"

He should've done his homework but this was simply an ill-advised remark. I understand what he was trying to do -- take back the slogan for a free Cuba -- but that slogan is too identified with fidel and the commies. This happens every four years. Proclaiming "Viva Cuba Libre!" and having a cafecito at Versailles is not enough anymore -- candidates need to present concrete policy proposals and act on them. Everything else is pandering and window dressing. Romney's not my guy but he's a decent, competent, and well-meaning guy, albeit poorly advised. We should cut him some slack but he (and all candidates) need to outline how he would help hasten an end to fidel & co. Hopefully, the dictatorship is gone by 2008 & he won't have to.

I am speechless. And for me, that's saying a lot...

I'm in complete agreement with Louis on this one. Romney has his foot in his mouth up to his knee. We can analyze whether it was poor preparation, an ignorant speech writer, too much time in Mass, or something else. In the end it doesn't really matter. It is just part of the pre-election parade of guayabera-wearing-cafecito-drinking-vivaCubalibre spouting politicos who come around every election eve on the arm of local power mongers looking for our votes. They don't really mean half of what they say, and there is no intent to follow through.

I heard Romney was on Radio Mambi this morning. He said something like "Cuba will be free in the next four years, if we have the right leadership." I assume he believes HE is "the right leadership." It is all empty rhetoric. Kennedy promised the 2506 flag would be returned to a free Cuba, Reagan stopped by and said "no castro, no problem." Bush I and II promised a change within their administrations. And, all we have after several decades is wet feet-dry feet, no family visits to your abuela, while the US does millions of dollars in business with castro.

Its all bunk. So, in sum, Romney's gaffe is humorous, but not worth spending any time analyzing. It is meaningless.

He made a mistake. He didn't know any better. He needs to spend more time with Miami Cubans. I wouldn't write him off - if it's between him and Hillary and he sufficiently apologizes, I'd go for him.

Of course I hate this stuff, this ignorance is inexcusable. I am even more steamed about Rudy Giuliani lobbying for Hugo and then not apologizing for it. I think he's gonna be soft on dictators and I am disappointed.

I think it is a bit premature to suggest that his gaffe means Romney has lost Florida, especially since he has previously taken a hard line against the dictatorship, i.e. against lifting the embargo, such as it is, etc. After all, how many Cuban American voters, especially younger ones would even recognize the phrase as one of the bearded bastard's get-out lines?

But Little Gator is correct. Discussion about the import of his screw-up only distracts from the needed effort to determine where the candidates stand on more matters of substance, like the embargo and wet-foot, dry-foot. Considering the change that is possible for Cuba in coming months and years, it is imperative we find out NOW where the candidates stand.

So far, of all the candidates the one that seems the most appealing is Guliani.
When Fidel visited NY several years back he put Fidel in his place, shunning him, although the usual idiots such as Rangel and Serrano had other ideas.
He also showed what he could do in the days following 9/11.
I will never vote for Hillary unless maybe a 2nd coming of Che Guevara ran on the GOP ticket.
I just have a feeling Giuliani would do the right thing in times of crisis.
Anyone share my thoughts?

my mom's tio, mi tio-abuelo never liked reagan's "cuba si, castro no" because it was a off shoot of "cuba si, yanqui no"

Next stop on Romney's tour - San Juan, Puerto Rico. "Don't forget to exercise your right to vote in the presidential election, and remember what the great Puerto Rican hero Simon Bolivar said, La vida es un canibal!"

MMerchant= rack'em

Romney's have a history of Presidential Campaign killing gaffes.

In 1968 Mitt's father George, former President of American Motors and then Republican Governor of Michigan said he was: "Brainwashed on Viet Nam". Which was the way of saying he was for it before he was against it.

Pretty much sealed his campaign.

Sorry you folks had to hear that.

I was there at Romney's speech, and I'm with Louis, little gator and Marc Masferrer. I think this is being blown out of proportion and I'd go further: I think this part of an MSM attempt to denigrate Republican candidates. I bet if Hillary or Obama had said the same thing, the Herald would've downplayed it. But because Romney is a conservative Republican, they want to make a big deal about this.

As I said before, I was at the speech (it was part of the Miami-Dade Republican Party's annual Lincoln Day dinner) and to me, the comment didn't seem to bother too many people. But leave it to the MSM to find the handfull of people who didn't like it, ignore the others who went, and write a story about one comment while not mentioning the rest of his speech.

Bueno la cagó. LOL

Get the actual facts right people…

Here is what Romney said verbatim:

Romney: “I said at the outset that the threat in Latin America is unprecedented. I say that because the Castros have a second tyrant and he has great wealth, from oil. We must stand just as firm against caudillos like Hugo Chavez, tutored by Fidel Castro. Chavez and Castro are brothers in blood, intent on personal gratification at the expense of their people. Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro have stolen the phrase – ‘Patria o muerte, venceremos.’ This phrase should not be used by dictators, but by liberators.

“There are two spheres of influence in the Western Hemisphere. One is dark, bellicose and spreads misery by denying people basic freedoms; the other shines like a powerful light, is peaceful and wants only for its people to live in liberty and prosper.

Me: From what I see it says that DICTATORS shouldn’t be using this phrase and that it should be used by LIBERATORS.

What’s the deal? Sounds like some propaganda from the left to me.

A bunch of sheep is what you all are if you take what the media gives you and regurgitate it.

Romney is too much of a business blue blood to stand up for Cubans, McCain is a RINO Liberal, Gulliani would make a good VP but as president we would lose our gun rights and see a GOP promotion of Gay rights. Newt's days are over although he speaks the truth & seeks honest solutions.

My fellow Cubans....I introduce to you the next GOP Candidate who has a higher percentage chance of affecting Cuba [drum roll in back ground].....

Former senator of Tenn. ............

FRED THOMPSON

www.fred08.com

conservative gladiator brings up an interesting variation here.. kinda changes the whole thing..

Conservative Gladiator:

Thank-you for giving us the quotation in full. However, it doesn't change anything.

Even taken out of its historial context (where in practice there was no "patria" just "muerte), the phrase itself is repulsive. It posits a choice that doesn't and shouldn't exist. We should be able to enjoy our country without having to kill ourselves or others. "Patria o Muerte" implies a perpetual state of war and murder as the only standard of patriotism. It is an eminently appropriate motto for the Cuban Revolution and Castro's Marxist-Fascist state. It is not an appropriate motto for a future Free Cuba. Besides, we don't need a new motto; we already have one: "Patria y Libertad."

"Patria o muerte venceremos!" was created by the castro regime. It is their slogan of slogans. Whatever Romney's point was, it was a horrendous choice. You dont go into a Jewish community and use "sieg heil!" to get chummy with said community.

I find it funnier than I do insulting but seriously, if someone is gonna come to my house to kiss my ass, he should does his best not to piss me off in the process.

Gladiator:

What's your source for the text of Romney's speech?

Setting aside whether Romney flubbed his prepared speech or not, the phrase Patria o Muerte, while being a castroite phrase, is also a stroke of genius. While what Tellechea says may be what we'd like to hear "Patria y libertad" let's not kid ourselves. Fidel capitalizes (and builds upon) on the fierce nationalism of Cubans. Remember long before Castro they were singing "Morir por la Patria es vivir" which is "To die for the fatherland is to live" That's very close to Patria o Muerte.

-"...I heard Romney was on Radio Mambi this morning. He said something like "Cuba will be free in the next four years, if we have the right leadership."

Mitt, are you telling us that because you 'hope' it happens, or are you telling us that because...

- you will establish a training base for "Cuban Freedom Fighters" on JANUARY 20TH 2008 with plans to launch them directly from Guantanamo on JULY 26TH 2009 and finally LIBERATE the country that the USA abondoned in APRIL 1961 and protected it's tyranny for 46 years!

Dunno if there's a transcript anywhere, but Romney's own site has a copy of the speech as it was meant to be delivered: http://tinyurl.com/2po4ve

Got there from Captain's Quarters.

Henry:

I will explain to you the difference between "Patria o Muerte" and "Morir por la patria es vivir." The difference is choice, that is, personal freedom. Our glorious mambises were not compelled against their will to fight and die for their country's redemption. The Cuban National Anthem simply recognizes that those who died for our country will live forever in our memory and be an everlasting example for us. That is a noble sentiment and entirely human. It reminds me of the ancient Roman "Dulce et decorum est pro patri mori."

"Patria o Muerte," as practiced by the Castro regime, is not a choice; it a warning. If you don't ascribe to the Castroite conception of "patria" then death is what you can expect.

It used to be our great boast as a people — enshrined in Bonifacio's Byrne's immortal ode — that the Cuban flag had never been mercenary. It was Fidel Castro who turned our flag into the skull and crossbones of modern international piracy. His "Patria o Muerte" was responsible for the deaths of thousands of teenaged Cuban boys (Castro drafted them at 16) in mercenary wars where they were not defending la patria but Castro's African diamond interests and Soviet colonialism.

The mambises died so that we all might have a patria. Castro's victims were killed so that Cubans could be deprived of their patria.

It is really very simple.

Just as the Constitution of 1940 will be restored in a Free Cuba, so too will our official national motto: Patria y Libertad." No one will advocate keeping "Patria o Muerte," or "Socialismo o Muerte," the variant that was favored in the 1990s.

the text of mitt's speech is on his website. from the text it is easier to see what he meant. i agree with Val in that it's funnier than it is offensive, however, i don't think the underlying points being made should be glossed over as easily.

mr. romney's lack of preparation, the blame for which can possibly be laid on his advance team or his speechwriters, is symptomatic of the cavalier attitude which the C-A community, and its vote, has had to satisfy itself on issues of importance to this community. it has always been this way. and i say this without relevance to what the right position should be on those issues. whether pro-embargo or not, the attitude has been and will be the same, as long as the C-A community continues to go weak at the knees over the grand gesture. the folks that posted earlier which referenced the need to demand concrete positions, and substantive proposals consistent with those positions, are all correct, of course. i see it as changing the rhythm of the courtship. no longer should the prize be offered in the hopes that a discussion will be had, rather the discussion must be had before the prize is given. i realize that electoral politics is a gamble by its nature, and that in the end we all wind up taking a chance with our vote, based on who might be the best choice, but all that has ever come from it is disappointment, if not outright heartbreak. perhaps bolder steps need to be taken.

All you folks all riled up over Mitt's "blooper" should take a good close look at who you'd get if Mitt were out of the race. And while you're at it take a good look at what you'd get if you get a DHIMMIcRAT instead of a Republican.

No one in this race is more likely to be a good friend to the anti-Castro Cubanos. This is precisely what Mitt was trying to say to you.

Cut nose. Spite face. Much blood loss.

Just the fact that he's from Mass. Loses my vote.
I think I'll vote for Pat Paulson

Paul,

Sapre us the lecture. We "anti-Castro Cubans" are pretty much used to lip service from the full political spectrum. And, truth be told, if Romney is the "best" friend to our cause, then he should definitely have known better than to use said phrase.

And, BTW, we're still waiting on that thank you for swaying election 2000.

Val:

Bush has actually thanked Cuban-Americans on several occasions for 2000. But words lose their luster when they take the place of actions.

With a stroke of his pen this very minute, without the need to consult anyone except his own conscience, President Bush could end the "dry foot/wet foot policy" by presidential order.

Every minute more that this inhuman and illegal policy continues to be observed is a repudiation of our support.

Bush is the craven hostage of xenophobic radicals within his party. Since there is no difference between Cubans and Mexicans to them, Bush treats us accordingly, ignoring the fact that a Cuban refugee is granted legal status by law and a Mexican migrant is not.

In other words, Bush condemns our brothers to slavery to appease his "Know-Nothing" racist allies. Tom Tancredo before Juan Liborio.

This convinces me more and more of the rising level of political - and non-political too - incompetence in this country and really makes me fear for its future. As it looks right now, may be sitting out the '08 election, although this is an agonizing thought since the last time I sat one out - the '76 one - we got...Jimmy the Mad Peanut and Pissin' Billy Beer. The horror! The horror!

As Gladiator stated before there was nothing wrong with what Governor Romney said in his speech. Nothing any true lover of freedom would find offensive. But as usual most Cubans start their mouths before fully engaging their brains and only see fit to listen to the moronic press for their information and complain about everything.
I don't see why any candidate bothers to court the Cuban American vote, it never makes a difference.

Patria O Muerte, God Bless America!

"For those who fight for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know"
Semper Fi!

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