U.S. and Cuba We're Getting Warmer

Raul Castro:

"We have sent messages to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything, whenever they want," Castro said Thursday in a speech in Venezuela. "Human rights, press freedom, political prisoners, everything, everything, everything they want to talk about." Politico

Hillary Clinton welcomes the gesture:

The U.S. and Cuba are trading the warmest words in their half-century cold war. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday called Cuban President Raul Castro's latest comments a "very welcome gesture."

After a series of overtures from President Barack Obama, Castro said Thursday that he is ready to talk with the U.S. and put "everything" on the table, even questions of human rights and political prisoners.

"We welcome his comments, the overture they represent and we are taking a very serious look at how we intend to respond," Clinton said while visiting the Dominican Republic on her way to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. The president is to fly Friday to Trinidad for the 34-nation summit, a gathering to which Cuba, as the region's only non-democracy, is not invited.
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Meanwhile, the head of the Organization of American States said Friday that he will ask its members to readmit Cuba 47 years after they ousted the communist nation.

Obama and Clinton had earlier said that Havana needed to reciprocate his "good faith" gesture of removing some of the restrictions that lock Americans and their money out of Cuba. But Castro's comments seem to be helping relations move forward even without a more concrete move by Cuba on issues that have long been U.S. sticking points. MSNBC

Castro Opposes Obama's Call for Continued Sanctions

i think it's interesting that castro calls obama the "most advanced" candidate. i know those who like having enemies won't appreciate that sentiment. but i'd like to see the u.s. have better relations with cuba.
of course, castro then goes on to bash obama's policy. i'm wondering how mccain will spin this.
what's most interesting about this story is the comments. they are argued illogically from both the obama supporters and the hillary supporters. we've all lost it! hoping for blowouts in puerto rico, south dakota and montana!

cnn: Former President Fidel Castro says Sen. Barack Obama's plan to maintain Washington's trade embargo against Cuba will cause hunger and suffering on the island.

In a column published Monday by government-run newspapers, Castro said Obama was "the most-advanced candidate in the presidential race," but noted that he has not dared to call for altering U.S. policy toward Cuba.

"Obama's speech can be translated as a formula for hunger for the country," Castro wrote, referring to Obama's remarks last week to the influential Cuban American National Foundation in Miami.

Obama said he would maintain the nearly fifty-year-old trade sanctions against Cuba as leverage to push for democratic change on the island. But he also vowed to ease restrictions on Cuban Americans traveling to Cuba and sending money to relatives.