February 18, 2008
Ordinary Joe
I was listening to an interview that Joe Garcia did on Puerto Rican radio over the weekend and I am truly disgusted by his rhetoric. During the interview Joe repeatedly accused the Diaz-Balarts of resembling fidel because they put "ideology over family". He insinuated that the Diaz-Balarts treat their seats in the House of Representatives as a feudal lordship and again intimated a parallel to the castro brothers. He also mentioned a "nexus" that the Diaz-Balarts have with the previous dictatorship in Cuba. In short, it was the most vile and disgusting of insults.
Well Mr. Garcia, I don't know what you are doing campaigning in Puerto Rico because there isn't a single vote down there that will do you any good. You are basing your entire campaign on the family travel restrictions that George W. Bush tightened. You are basing your argument on the absolute right to family travel, but I don't remember you criticizing Clinton so vociferously when the restrictions (which were admittedly weaker, but still there nonetheless) were in force. Hypocrite.
The best part is that he admits that he was for travel restrictions at one point but has now changed his mind. And because Joe Freaking Garcia has changed his mind, then everyone else is wrong. What a deluded jerk. Let me explain to everyone clearly what is up with Joe Garcia. He can't come out against the overall embargo because he wouldn't be elected dog catcher. So to differentiate himself from his opposition he's parsed one little part of the current restrictions on Cuba: family travel. He's hoping that he can make hay out his difference in this one area. I think his change of heart is rather convenient at this point.
As usual he doesn't let the host get a word in. He also says the Bush administration has signed the waiver of enforcement of title 3 of the Helms Burton Act more than any other president. Well, that's certainly true but only because that law was passed in 1996 halfway during President Clinton's 8 years in office. It was Clinton that began by waiving title 3 every six months until he left office. Can we blame George Bush for continuing a Clinton policy, certainly we can, but again Joe doesn't want to paint Clinton with the same brush.
Likewise Joe says that Bush has repatriated more Cubans than any other president. Of course, this is also true since wet foot/dry foot policy that AGAIN was the fruit of Bill Clinton requires the repatriation of Cubans interdicted at sea. Once again, Bush could get rid of this policy and many of us lament it for its inhumanity, but that policy was created by Clinton to stop the humanitarian crisis that was occurring in the straights of Florida. The flip side of that coin is the visa lottery in which 20,000 visas are issued to Cuban annually. In the last 10 years more than 200,000 Cubans have come to the U.S. mainly settling in South Florida.
Also Joe mentions the hundreds of millions of dollars of food sales to Cuba that have taken place under Bush. What he neglects to mention is that provision for those food sales were part of a greater bill and that our congresspersons were against it. Joe claims that he was against it too but when I cornered him during the Babalu Radio Hour on which he appeared about whether he was for or against continuing the sale of food to Cuba (I'm against it) he said that "Now that it's done it's pointless to oppose it." So Joe is essentially criticizing the President's administration for going along with a policy that Congress passed that he himself is currently in favor of. Huh?
Joe, if anyone is using castroite tactics it's you. SCUMBAG.
H/T: AbajoFidel
Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at February 18, 2008 10:00 PM
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Comments
Shouldn't we treat as suspect every politician's "change of heart" on an election year?
Posted by: Gigi ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 18, 2008 11:21 PM
Are you comparing Joe Garcia to a condom?
Posted by: mulatica at February 18, 2008 11:55 PM
that would be an insult to the condom. 99% of the time, it doesn't burst under pressure.
Posted by: Cangrejero de Caibarien at February 19, 2008 12:18 AM
Henry, but you say that like it's even remotely news by now. Still, I feel your pain, trust me.
Posted by: asombra at February 19, 2008 12:12 PM
Asombra,
The level of douchebagginess was surprising, even to me.
Posted by: Henry "Conductor" Gomez at February 19, 2008 12:18 PM
Henry, as I've said before (even though I know many don't want to hear it), Cuba has unfortunately been exceedingly prolific in producing toxic offspring or poisoned fruit, and this applies on the island as well as abroad. This is the primary reason for our national tragedy, even if it is by no means the only reason (obviously, there's never been any shortage of outside "help"). Yes, there are bad people in every country, but I personally believe Cuba exceeded its quota, so to speak, enough to tip the scales toward disaster.
Posted by: asombra at February 20, 2008 12:09 PM
Asombra,
Yes you are of course correct. But Cuba also has produced its fair share of luminaries and shining examples. It seems as though Cuba is both blessed and cursed.
Posted by: Henry "Conductor" Gomez at February 20, 2008 02:42 PM
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