I was born in 1969, in all that time I have never been as proud of a U.S. president as I am of President Obama today. I am overjoyed that he has restored full diplomatic relations with Cuba. Unfortunately for me, this incredibly welcome news comes at a time when I simply do not have the ability to sit down and write about what I think it means and how it makes me feel. I have too much going on at the moment.
But, just look at this:
(Reuters) – Some Cuban exiles rejoiced at the prospect of easier access to their relatives. Some swelled with guarded optimism over the prospect of thawing relations between the United States and the communist island. And some were simply “ecstatic.”
We should all be ecstatic. This is the best moment of this presidency so far.
This citizen is trying to control himself right now. It’s about damn time.
Fidel and Raul only had to outlive most of the nutso Cuban refugees that like dreamers of the glory days of Dixie, longed for the good old days of Batista.
The world needs more good new like this! The relief after all these years is overwhelming.
But .. but .. but .. Rubio .. Senator Menendez .. Senator Huckleberry J. Butchmeup .. DWS and the Breitbart House of Unemployables are angry!!
Oh, they aren’t forgotten. The fact that Marco Rubio is NOT ecstatic is an added bonus.
It’s a much needed ray of sunshine in the present $hit storm we find ourselves in. Do the right thing and all that.
Folks although I am very optimistic of this news, we must be cautious that there are “plans” to restore full diplomatic relations. This is still not a done deal.
Don’t forget that President Obama has made many promises before and………
I think he can restore diplomatic relations, because the State department is executive branch. He’s just got to work it out with Cuba, which apparently he’s already done.
However, Congress needs to confirm the ambassador he nominates.
To fund the US embassy in Havana.
And to ratify trade and other agreements.
Which means the onus will be on Congress. It’s a time bomb, because Obama’s now done his part. From here on the Republican Party will be killing each other — those who want to gentrify Cuba vs those who would rather be dead than red. So get out the popcorn, this should be fun. They’ll be fighting each other so hard they’ll plumb forget Obama was the one that stirred the whole thing up in the first place.
I just listened to the press conference and the statement by Alan Gross. Him being ecstatic is an understatement and he personally thanked the combination of right persons involved in his release: his wife Judy and his team of lawyers, the Jewish community, support from all faiths mentioning Christians and Muslims. Politicians in US Congress from both sides of the isle who came to visit him in his Cuban prison. Most importantly he thanked President Obama and his staff, ultimately it was the man in the Ovale Office who made the decision. He fully appreciates the normalization of relations with Cuba as announced by the President. US congressmen Patrick Leahy from NY, Jeff Flake (R) from Arizona and Chris van Hollen from his home state Maryland traveled to Cuba to accompany him to freedom. Quite impressive. Why continue a policy that hasn’t worked in 54 years? A powerful nation, the only state in the Western Hemisphere not to have diplomatic relations with Cuba. That’s exceptionalism …
“I want to thank His Holiness, Pope Francis, whose moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be, rather than simply settling for the world as it is,” Obama said.
From my diary …
○ US-Cuba diplomacy breakthrough: Pope Francis led secret Vatican talks between Barack Obama and Raul Castro
○ Our Hanukkah Miracle! | Alan Gross Speaks Out on Hopes for New Relationship With Cuba
Can’t wait for that non-stop flight from Midway to Havana 🙂
Damn straight. I’ve been disillusioned with the O for a while now, but not today.
Wondering if anyone has suggested yet that they think this might be an impeachable offense?
If I know the wingers, surely something like that is coming down the pike.
Impeachment?? Impeachment….anyone?? Bueller???
presidenting while black is an impeachable offense, why not this?
They still haven’t gotten over Carter transferring ownership of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1977-78 (the effective date was 12/31/99 which gave GHWBush time to invade Panama and nab his former buddy Noriega). As Congress ratified the treaties, they couldn’t impeach Carter, but they got their revenge in 1980.
This would certainly make wingnuts heads would EXPLODE!
White House Won’t Rule Out Obama Visit to Cuba as Policy Shifts
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-12-17/white-house-wont-rule-out-obama-visit-to-cuba-
as-policy-shifts …
Now if we could just get Obama to follow up this enlightened policy with a more rational approach to Putin and Russia. Because that relationship seems headed towards a direct military confrontation sometime in the not distant future, and Obama has only seemed to strike a hardline attitude with a determined Russian leader who’s not about to be bullied.
Maybe Pope Francis could play intermediary on that one. It’s far more important than Cuba.
But…but…
Don’t miss my post on this situation from 4 years ago.
My Take On Cuba circa 2010.. (Originally “Cuba and CommuCaribbeanism-A Sad, Strange, Brave Old New World”)
As I say in the intro:
Check it out.
AG
Do more like the diary you reference. Good points.
I hinted at what you call gentrification and Disneyfication in my reference to how the prison at Guantanamo would disappear, replaced by some US developer’s resort.
As for Voice in the Wilderness’s hope for Cuban sugar, US subsidies for Florida sugar make that unlikely as unlikely as Haitian sugar.
AG, your point about where does the culture of freedom actually exist is a good one.
Nonetheless, as an international political change that makes diplomacy let run-around, this is a significant day. Iran and North Korea remain. And Palestine.
And of course the 500 lb. gorilla sitting quietly in the corner consuming all of the appetizers.
Bet on it.
Big trouble w/the rouble?
Putin to the rescue!!!
Watch.
AG
So Putin has problems with crackers too.
Yes.
Georgia crackers particularly.
AG
Terrible, AG, just terrible.
shakes head (lol)
Thank you.
I needed that.
AG
I’ll tell ya what though, seems to me that the Obama administration ain’t buying into this whole “lame duck” Presidency thing.
I know, I know, we’ll see what happens next year with GOP takes control, but it’s sure funny that the same people who said that the midterm shellacking was the end of Obama’s ability to get anything done, are now amazed at how much shit Obama has done since the midterms, and that was what a lil over 1 month ago?
I’m liking much of the post-midterm Obama, we’ll see how it goes in the new year.
Next year we may have an nuclear agreement with Iran or maybe Obama will reinstate overtime for the middle class or Obama may send some Gitmo detainees to some where in the world. Oh, and don’t forget about all those immigrants who are about to come out of hiding. It is going to be hard for the right to stay on message.
for a few years the “news” stories were all about how Obama was destroying his presidency; for the past months they’re about how he’s destroying his legacy (or won’t have one), for a few weeks they don’t know what to say. maybe they’ll start with he’s destroying his lame-duckness.
More presidential destruction please.
!! his lame-duckness is at risk!!!
Obama’s callous attitude toward lame-duckness clearly shows his disrespect for the constitution, Christianity, and everything Americans hold dear. Impeach!
Rubio Attacks Pope For Helping Broker Cuba Deal http://thkpr.gs/3604800 via @thinkprogress
!!! has Ken Langone weighed in on how the .1% won’t donate to Catholic cathedral restoration now due to the Pope’s mistaken theology?
One by-product for the administration. It gives the news media an excuse to bury its reporting on the Senate torture report.
Amnesia takes over.
No one seems to be talking about this, but it’s important: The President is laying the foundation for the destruction of the GOP as we know it.
These ‘executive actions’ are of course all subject to all kinds of interference by the Congress and GOP state officials. I suspect that 2015 will be an orgy of various efforts to ‘undo’ immigration ‘reform,’ Cuba policy, net neutrality/internet access, even fed. contractor minimum wage, etc. And their base will LOVE it. Hell, right now I’d bet they’ll go for impeachment — why not?
The President believes, I suspect, that a pretty large majority supports his positions. By cementing the Democratic party to these positions, he ensures that the brand will be the home for those voters who support immigration ‘reform,’ relations with Cuba, etc.
Coming into 2016, the Dems can — unless it’s up to Chuck Schumer — take all of these issues to the electorate and expect something of a victory.
He’s set a trap for the GOP that will work, but only if the Dems will stay out of it themselves.
We’ll see…
I believe you are entirely correct here.
Obama…and the PermaGov people who run him…want a One-Party system instead of the current Two-Party/Uniparty system. They want to rule unopposed. Too many opportunities for slip-ups when there is another party always wanting a piece of the pie. They want their ideas to rule unopposed, and there is a danger that they will get what they want within the next decade or so.
The NeoLiberal Party!!!
An idea whose time may finally have come.
Bet on it.
We shall see, soon enough. The RatPublicans may have tarbabied themselves right out of business by winning both houses of Congress. When the whole shebang still doesn’t work, who’re they going to be able to blame, Ghostbusters?
It’s gonna be big fun, this next couple of years.
Watch.
AG