SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 8:09 P.M. ET: 

VULGAR – I watched CNN's vulgar coverage today of the meeting between President Obama and Cuba's President Castro, or Castro II, or whatever they call him.  CNN went into full-fawning mode, with anchor Poppy Harlow (I love that Disneyesque name) practically throwing kisses to our heroic president, who announced that all presidents before him had failed in their Cuba policy, so he was going to change it.  Look, how can you argue with a self-appointed god.  Then there was CNN's Rosa Flores, who was beside herself announcing how much Obama is loved in Cuba.  Flores also lamented that there were "still" Cubans who complained of being oppressed.  Silly people.  Who needs free elections, freedom of speech, freedom of the press?  Why can't these traitors appreciate what they're given?  It would have been nice had someone at CNN pointed out that Barack Obama is an elected president who will leave office a year from January, with no troops required in the streets.  Raul Castro is a dictator, appointed by his brother, the senior dictator.  I guess this democracy thing just isn't trendy.

INTERESTING POLL ON CUBA – From the Panama Post:  "A survey by InterAmerican Security Watch (ISW) challenges the notion that normalization with Cuba will enjoy popular support. ISW acknowledges that right now a slim majority of US citizens agree with President Barack Obama’s move to restore diplomatic ties. Their findings, however, suggest that support evaporates as the same individuals learn of the Castro regime’s foreign-policy record and human-rights violations.  ISW, a policy institute that monitors regional security issues, questioned 700 likely US voters by phone from March 16 to 23, including an 'oversample' of 300 Cuban Americans. On March 24 they then published a 51-versus-38 percent tilt in favor of normalization with Havana. However, when respondents were presented with evidence of negotiations between Cuba and terrorist groups, and alliances with Russia and North Korea, levels of approval flipped, to considerable margins of 30-40 percent.  Surveyors emphasized the shipment of 240 tons of weaponry that the regime of Raúl Castro attempted to send to North Korea in 2013. After hearing of this, for example, 64 percent of respondents preferred to maintain sanctions on Cuba until there is progress towards free and multi-party elections, the release of political prisoners, and respect for human rights."  We're cautious about any single poll, but Americans are being told very little about Cuba's current abuse of human rights.  The press has, shock, fallen down on the job.

WHY? – From Fox:  "NEW YORK – A New York City woman is accused of marrying 10 times over an 11-year period without ever getting a divorce.  Liana Barrientos is charged with filing a fake instrument.
The Bronx district attorney's office says she faces two counts of felony fraud charges at her arraignment Friday.  According to a criminal complaint, the 39-year-old woman allegedly obtained two of the marriage licenses in the Bronx. It says the others were obtained in Westchester County and Long Island. The first one allegedly was obtained in 1999.  The complaint says she was arrested following a probe of her most recent marriage in 2010.  It wasn't immediately clear if she had a lawyer."  What happened to the husbands?  Inquiring minds want to know. 

April 11, 2015