Tag Archives: Cuba

Today in Texas History – May 16

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From the Annals of Jingoism – In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt arrived in San Antonio to recruit and train the First Volunteer Cavalry at the Menger Hotel.  The FVC known to history as the “Rough Riders” was comprised primarily of college athletes, cowboys, ranchers, miners, and other outdoorsmen who could ride and shoot.  Roosevelt recruited men from Texas and Oklahoma and the New Mexico and Arizona Territories thinking that they would be accustomed to the climate and terrain in parts of Cuba.   Although technically a cavalry unit, the RRs were unable to bring transport most of their horses and mule train to Cuba due to a shortage of transport ships.  All of their fighting in Cuba was done on foot. 

The unit is of course most famous for the charge up San Juan Hill initiated and led by Roosevelt.  The battle made TR a national figure and propelled the former Secretary of the Navy to become Governor of New York and ultimately President upon McKinley’s assassination.

 

Sid Miller, Liar or Merely Easily Duped Moron?

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Texas Agriculture Commissioner and Tea Party darling Sid Miller posted a photo on his Facebook page of President Barack Obama smiling, holding up a blue T-shirt with the face of Che Guevara.  Miller claimed that Obama was holding the shirt during his trip to Cuba this week.  The indignant Miller wrote:

President Obama refuses to return to the United States in order to meet with European leaders to discuss a response to today’s terror attacks in Brussels–attacks that severely injured a number of Americans. Instead, he remains in Cuba holding a shirt depicting the image of Che Guevara–one of the most reviled terrorists of the modern age–a murdering thug who was responsible for thousands of innocent deaths. President Obama is laughing at us. He understands the symbolism of this picture and yet he doesn’t care. I believe his actions are disgraceful. Do you agree?

Apparently, Miller is easily duped as the photo is from Obama’s 2009 visit to an MIT research lab and the image of Guevara was photo-shopped in.   Sid might have figured out that this shot probably wasn’t from the Cuba trip by looking at the English language sign in the background.  But that would have required some actual thought.

Sid needs to stop posting stupid crap on Facebook and consider doing the job he was elected to do.

Is There Anything Ted Cruz Doesn’t Lie About (cont.)?

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Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas) of course had to weigh in on President Obama’s trip to one of Cruz’s ancestral homelands.  According to Cruz,  “It is so sad, and so injurious to our future as well as Cuba’s, that Obama has chosen to legitimize the corrupt and oppressive Castro regime with his presence on the island.”

But what did the Junior Senator have to say when his former boss, good buddy and Poor Idiot Governor Greg Abbott visited Cuba a few months ago?  Righteous indignation at pandering to dictators?  Hardly.  Even though the two trips shared almost identical mission statements, there was radio silence from Cruz.  So when Tea Party Republicans visit Cuba to promote trade and business that’s absolutely great.  But when the President does the same thing, well we all knew he was a Commie at heart anyway.

Gov. Abbott Visits Cuba – For Dinner and a Floor Show

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Gov. Greg Abbott (TP-Texas) embarked on a supposed trade mission to Cuba and apparently accomplished little other than having a nice dinner and taking in a floor show.  According to the pool report filed by a Texas reporter traveling with Abbott, the governor dined and watched a concert at a high-end private restaurant in the Miramar section of Havana on Monday evening.

On Tuesday, Abbott visited Cuba’s new Mariel port and free trade zone.  Abbott’s group was told by Cuban officials that the U.S. trade embargo – which Congress has refused to lift despite normalization of relations between the two countries – meant there was no opportunity for U.S. businesses to invest there.

Abbott told the officials that “Texas has an abundance of (rice and other commodities) and a very easy ability to export from Texas to Cuba,” according to the pool report.   The Cuban officials indicated that the island nation would continue to buy rice from other sources until the U.S. allowed the country to buy on credit, a measure currently prohibited by the embargo.

Despite the bad news, sources tell Red that the excellent flan and expresso Abbott was served after his fancy meal made the entire trip worthwhile and a really good deal for Texas taxpayers.