Senator Bob Menendez, D-NJ, on the realities of Cuba as read on the Senate Floor:
It’s no secret that, being a Democrat, Menendez has received his fair share of criticism from me, but this speech before his fellow members of Congress is beyond excellent. It holds no punches and covers it all.
Update: The Senator from New Jersey is batting 1000 today:
The nominations of two of President Obama’s top science advisers have stalled in the Senate, according to several sources, posing a challenge to the administration as it seeks to frame new policies on climate change and other environmental issues.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has placed a “hold” that blocks votes on confirming Harvard University physicist John Holdren, who is in line to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Oregon State University marine biologist Jane Lubchenco, Obama’s nominee to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. According to sources who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, Menendez is using the holds as leverage to get Senate leaders’ attention for a matter related to Cuba rather than questioning the nominees’ credentials.
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I’m listening now. This is one riveting speech.
Ditto Omar. I have to listen to the rest later, as I must leave for work. This is one hell of a speech which will stand on record no matter the Senate vote. Bravo Senator Menendez. This post should stay on top all week.
A Democrat making hash of a Republican(Lugar’s)proposals…gives me hope for the future of the two party system.
All of these horrors have been part of daily Cuban life for half a century. All of it a mere 90 miles from the coast of the most media-saturated nation in the world.
Never in history has “un bloqueo” been as effective. I refer to the one Castro erected against facts escaping from Cuba. Because of the assistance from his thousands of eager and energetic allies, his border guards (The worldwide MSM) most of this speech will strike its U.S. audience (all college educated, many in the Ivy league, most of them voracios readers and news junkies) mostly as news (and mostly as irrelevant.)
Unreal.
While Lugar’s lame report made the news and was widely reported, Menendez’s powerful rebuttal has shamefully been ignored. And that in a nutshell is–in my opinion– the main reason why Castro has remained in power so long.
At this very late date, 50 years and counting, there’s no such thing as not knowing any better. There’s only not giving a shit, not wanting to know, pretending not to know, or being mentally defective. Our only realistic hope is Cubans themselves, both in and out of the island. If that fails, Cuba’s done.
Lugar, by the way, is the worst kind of whore–the kind that pretends to be a virgin.
I’m surprised he took a more strict, but caring position regarding Cuba, and I have never heard him speak so seriously. In the past, I have always heard him take such a careless position toward Cuba or if the problems under the Castro regime really do not exist.
Great speech. The outreach that’s been done toward key Democrats is important work and it wasn’t CANF that did it. There are real heroes out there like Mauricio Claver-Carone but they are unsung. Did you see Harry Reid at the end?
Did Harry Reid really lend us his support!?!?!
By G-d, there is hope yet!
Very interesting,
I applaud this speech by the senator. Without a doubt, he hit a grand slam with it.
Looks like Bob Menendez with this speech is going to put the spot on both the Democratic Congress and the Obama administration towards their open willingness to have a relationship with the tyranny.
I’m afraid that at one point that Senator Menendez may end-up being disappointed by the President though.
But if President Obama undermines Bob Menendez’s efforts to stand-up against the tyranny, I wonder what the senator will do next.
I was finally able to finish watching the video, what a speech. You’re right Val, it covers it all, quite eloquently in my opinion. If this doesn’t shame them into doing what is right, then nothing will. May God deliver Cuba from oppression, and may it please be soon.
“If this doesn’t shame them into doing what is right, then nothing will.”
Ziva,
You nailed it with the comment above.
Like I said in my own post, Senator Bob Menendez comments are putting on the spot not only those in Congress willing to do business with the tyranny but also President Obama if he dares to engage the Castro brothers unconditionally.
What I mean unconditionally is that no significant political opening takes place in the island (like the release of all political prisoners, opening in political freedoms, etc.).
Of course we know that this would never happen under the Castro brothers.
My point is that if President Obama decides to engage the Castro brothers (against the facts explained in this speech by Senator Bob Menendez) then there will be a political price to pay by the President as I suspect that he would lose the support of Senator Menendez.
So far with this very eloquent speech Senator Menendez gave he is showing that he’s not abandoning the cause for a free Cuba (which I was afraid that at one point he could have for the sake of party loyalty).
It’ll be very interesting indeed to see what happens next.