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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMarco Rubio Challenges The Pope On Obama's New Cuba Policy
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) torched President Barack Obama's new policy aimed at normalizing U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba on Wednesday, and addressed Pope Francis' support for the president's move.
"My understanding is that the influence that His Holiness had was on the release of Mr. [Alan] Gross, which I've not criticized. As I said, I'm happy that he's with the Cuban people [sic]. I would also ask His Holiness to take up the cause of freedom and democracy, which is critical for a free people for a people to truly be free," Rubio, a Catholic whose parents immigrated from Cuba to flee the Castro regime, told reporters.
"I think the people of Cuba deserve the same chances to have democracy as the people of Argentina have had, where he comes from; as the people of Italy have, where he now lives. Obviously the Vatican's its own state, but very nearby," the senator and rumored 2016 presidential hopeful continued. "My point is I hope that people with that sort of prestige on the world stage will take up the cause of freedom and democracy. The Cuban people are the only people in this hemisphere that have not been able to elect a leader in more than 55 or 60 years. That's outrageous."
In a statement circulated by the White House, the Vatican said, "The Holy Father wishes to express his warm congratulations for the historic decision taken by the Governments of the United States of America and Cuba to establish diplomatic relation, with the aim of overcoming, in the interest of the citizens of both countries, the difficulties which have marked their history.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/marco-rubio-pope-cuba
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)spanone
(135,791 posts)djean111
(14,255 posts)Rubios parents fictional flight from communism is the great creation myth of his ascent. During his rise and after his election to the Senate, Rubio portrayed himself as the son of exiles forced to flee Cuba after Fidel Castro seized power in 1959.
He spread the story in his campaign and U.S. Senate biographies, which stated that his parents came to America following Fidel Castros takeover. He repeated it in media interviews, telling Fox Business in 2009, for example, that I think that the direction were going in Washington, D.C., would make us more like the rest of the world, and not like the exceptional nation that my parents found when they came here from Cuba in 1959.
In reality, his parents, Mario and Oriales Rubio, arrived in the United States on May 27, 1956 two-and-a-half years before Castro took over and six months before he invaded the island.
Rubio corrected his Senate biography after The Washington Post and the St. Petersburg Times reported about the discrepancy in October 2011.
He says he was relying on family lore. He argues that he was justified in calling himself the son of exiles because his parents werent able to return to Cuba after Castro took power, regardless of when they left.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)underpants
(182,604 posts)You dumbass, don't you think opening up Cuba is the first step towards them having a chance at democracy? That IS what you want for them, right?
msongs
(67,361 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)one big pile of Doggie doo doo and the smell isn't going away. Stupid is what stupid does. Kiss your Presidential campaign bye bye.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)That will end well.
lpbk2713
(42,736 posts)BWAHAHAHA
"WAAAH!! No fair!!"
Poor Baby.
deminks
(11,014 posts)I liked that title, too. Rubio attacks the Pope. Bwahahahahahahaha.
http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/12/17/3604800/rubio-attacks-pope-for-helping-broker-cuba-deal/