Talking Points From Havana

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Last week, the Castro regime's leading columnist, Nicanor Leon Cotayo, wrote an official editorial in Cuban state media praising President Obama's nominees for Secretary of State, U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), and Secretary of Defense, former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.).

Leon Cotayo (channeling Castro) writes:

"Chuck Hagel has no problem with Cuba. To the contrary, he has demonstrated common sense to do away with one of the White House's most anachronistic foreign policies."

He then nudges the Obama Administration to ignore Congress and U.S. law, and exercise "real and legal options to maneuver and diminish tension in bilateral relations."

In other words, to keep providing them unilateral concessions (while they keep intensifying their repression of peaceful opponents).

Sure sounds like some of the "think-tank" policy papers floating around town, not to mention some of the recent analysis by Cuba "experts" in the U.S. media.

Now remember, according to these Cuba "experts", this is all a "Jedi mind trick" because despite all of the lobbying and the billions of dollars spent by Castro to have sanctions lifted, they really don't want them lifted -- for they need to have an excuse for their failures that Cubans don't believe.  Got it?

As for Castro's American hostage, Alan Gross, Leon Cotayo (channeling Castro) reiterated the regime's position that they will only discuss the issue pursuant to two conditions: "mutual respect and reciprocity."

In other words, blackmail and ransom.