Janelle Irwin Taylor
Two Democratic presidential candidates have publicly weighed in on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ controversial comments on “60 Minutes” Sunday night in which he defended some parts of Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba.
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg both condemned Sanders’ equivocal support for Castro’s leadership in which he employed the “it wasn’t all bad” mentality of the former Cuban dictator.
“Fidel Castro left a dark legacy of forced labor camps, religious repression, widespread poverty, firing squads, and the murder of thousands of his own people,” Bloomberg tweeted Monday. “But sure, Bernie, let’s talk about his literacy program.”
Fidel Castro left a dark legacy of forced labor camps, religious repression, widespread poverty, firing squads, and the murder of thousands of his own people.
But sure, Bernie, let’s talk about his literacy program. pic.twitter.com/3Xqu435uoA
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) February 24, 2020
Bloomberg’s campaign doubled down.
“As a Cuban who fled Fidel Castro’s murderous regime, and a son of a political prisoner who spent years in Castro’s prisons, I am disgusted by Bernie Sanders’ praises of the Cuban dictator,” wrote Bloomberg campaign national co-chair and former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
“Sanders has repeatedly stated his admiration of the Castro regime, and the alleged ‘literacy program.’ The reality is far different from the picture Sanders paints. Children are taught by teachers who are barely paid enough to buy enough food to survive, and they study in dilapidated schools that may or may not have running water and electricity. The only books are supplied by the government, filled with pro-Castro propaganda. There are no notebooks, pencils or chalk for chalkboards. Kids go to school starving as their parents have no money for food, hardly an ideal state for learning.”
Diaz said literacy means nothing if Cubans don’t have freedom.
Buttigieg didn’t mention Sanders by name but tweeted a clip from the “60 Minutes” video with a caption condemning dictatorial leadership.
“After four years of looking on in horror as Trump cozied up to dictators, we need a president who will be extremely clear in standing against regimes that violate human rights abroad. We can’t risk nominating someone who doesn’t recognize this,” Buttigieg tweeted.
After four years of looking on in horror as Trump cozied up to dictators, we need a president who will be extremely clear in standing against regimes that violate human rights abroad. We can’t risk nominating someone who doesn’t recognize this. pic.twitter.com/N2JHGzns93
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 24, 2020
The rebuke comes after Sanders defended his past praise for Castro in an interview with Anderson Cooper.
“We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba, but you know, it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad,” Sanders said. “You know? When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? Even though Fidel Castro did it?”
Sanders’ comments have been likened to President Donald Trump’s equivocation in 2017 of White Supremacists at the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which he said there were “very fine people” on both sides of the protests in which a woman was killed after being mowed over by a car that barreled through a crowd of people protesting white supremacy.
A host of Democrats have criticized Sanders since his interview aired including several South Florida elected officials worried that his comments could have potential down-ballot consequences.
The Republican National Committee confirmed their fears, writing “good luck” in a statement condemning Sanders’ seeming support for a dangerous dictator.
Gov. Ron DeSantis also condemned the comments.
2 comments
JILL ROE
February 25, 2020 at 4:54 pm
Bernie defends a mass murderer. The same guy who emptied his prisons and insane asylums, put them on rafts and sent them to Florida. REMEMBER the crime wave?
Be it Joe Biden, Sanders, Bloomberg, Pete or Elizabeth Warren. They all follow the left’s radical hyena’s of Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee, Maxine Waters, Al Green, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Talib, Ayanna Pressley, llhan Omar, Val Deming, and Hakeem Jeffries.
If you vote Democrat, this is what they’ve promised….
Democrat-Socialist Goals & Platform:
-Sanctuary Cities & States..(all candidates)
-De-fund & terminate Border Patrol & ICE.(goal open borders)
-Drivers licenses for illegal aliens.
-Voting rights for illegal aliens.
-Late term abortions up to 9 months.
-Opposed to ANY voter ID Laws.
-Weaken our Military.
-End all deportations of illegal aliens, if you get here, you stay. (Goal open borders)
-Destruction of all private health care (Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren)
-The Green new deal.(which would create massive unemployment)
-Free medicare care for all including illegal aliens (taxpayer funded with a 52 trillion estimate)
-Free college for all, including illegal aliens. (tax payer funded) Sanders-Warren
-Disarming Americans.
-Decriminalization of illegal entry into our country. (goal open borders)
-Socialism.
-Citizenship for 30 to 50 million illegal aliens & TPS.
-Reparations for any race harmed by Caucasians (all candidates)
-Massive tax increases.(all candidates)
-Open Borders, No Borders.
-Welfare & Food Stamps for illegal aliens. (all candidates)
*View their speeches / debates on you tube or the candidates websites.*
Taxpayers pay special attention to Bernie’s “Key Points.”
https://berniesanders.com/issues/welcoming-and-safe-america-all/
RG CLEMETE
February 25, 2020 at 5:41 pm
https://berniesanders.com/issues/
COLLEGE FOR ALL-
Guarantee tuition and debt-free public colleges, universities, HBCUs, Minority Serving Institutions and trade-schools to all.
Cancel all student loan debt for the some 45 million Americans who owe about $1.6 trillion and place a cap on student loan interest rates going forward at 1.88 percent.
Invest $1.3 billion every year in private, non-profit historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions
End equity gaps in higher education attainment. And ensure students are able to cover non-tuition costs of attending school by: expanding Pell Grants to cover non-tuition and fee costs, tripling funding for the Work-Study Program, and more.
MEDICARE FOR ALL-
Create a Medicare for All, single-payer, national health insurance program to provide everyone in America with comprehensive health care coverage, free at the point of service.
No networks, no premiums, no deductibles, no copays, no surprise bills.
Medicare coverage will be expanded and improved to include: include dental, hearing, vision, and home- and community-based long-term care, in-patient and out-patient services, mental health and substance abuse treatment, reproductive and maternity care, prescription drugs, and more.
Stop the pharmaceutical industry from ripping off the American people by making sure that no one in America pays over $200 a year for the medicine they need by capping what Americans pay for prescription drugs under Medicare for All.
WE ARE WELCOMING-
Institute a moratorium on deportations until a thorough audit of past practices and policies is complete.
Reinstate and expand DACA and develop a humane policy for those seeking asylum.
Completely reshape and reform our immigration enforcement system, including breaking up ICE and CBP and redistributing their functions to their proper authorities.
Dismantle cruel and inhumane deportation programs and detention centers and reunite families who have been separated.
Live up to our ideals as a nation and welcome refugees and those seeking asylum, including those displaced by climate change.
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