Castro hands power to brother during surgery

CNN ^ | 7/31/06 | CNN

[tdewey10]

Cuban President Fidel Castro is transferring power provisionally to brother Raul while he undergoes an operation, Cuban TV announces.

[King of Florida]

He's dead or dying and Raul's busy solidifying his power.

That's definitely the buzz on the street down here. Actually, it's that he's dead, dead, dead, and this is a way to gently break it to his prisoners the people on the island.

[McGruff]

My guess? He's dead or dying...

Wish I could make it to the celebration.

[cll]

Bring out the Vaca Frita and the Mojitos!

[nina0113]

Is Raul going to be able to hold on to it? Or will Cuba finally be free?

[Xenalyte]

He is either already dead or is not expected to survive this surgery.

That's exactly what I thought - just like the old Soviet leaders. He's dead, or comatose at best, and power has already been transferred.

The question is what this means, since by all accounts Raul is nuttier than a Stuckey's pecan log.

[TommyDale]

The experts are predicting that Raul will be overthrown with little effort. One of the talking heads gave that analysis on Fox News as this was breaking. We can only hope... ;-)

[Tallguy]

I'm looking forward to a serious infusion of Cuban cigars.

I guess we'll see if those Cuban knock-offs are as good as they claim when the real thing is back on the market. Not a cigar smoker myself.

[nina0113]

One of my co-workers who travels a lot says the Dominican ones are actually better now because Castro's screwed up the cigar industry like everything else.

[Live and let live conservative]

Now, now... Why must you be so cruel? ;) How about a response similar to this one just posted over at DU by one very upset liberal: liberaltrucker (1000+ posts) Tue Aug-01-06 12:55 AM Original message Hasta la Victoria Siempre, Comrade Fidel My Spanish isn't very good, so I'll say it in English. The Revolution will continue. In the 50's, you didn't have the Internet. We do now, with 512 bit encryption. I have to admit, your rule of the Cuban people was at times brutal, but much less so than Batista. You gave your people universal health care, universal education, equality. RIP, mi amigo

Batista was a cake walk compared to Castro.

I truly don't think that most American liberals have studied what the Cuban revolution of 1959 entailed. I have to chalk this post up to ignorance because I think that very few people are truly evil. Ignorance, unfortunately, is rampant when it comes to the left's understanding of Cuba, and that ignorance can be dangerous as hell.

[maine-iac7]

OTOH, Rove *could* change his mind in the next 3 days

tee hee

[maine-iac7]

Castro entering the infernal regions would explain the recent midwest heat wave.

Midwest? Heck, it covered the whole country - we were sweltering even up here in the northern-eastern most state - Hell had to reach up and grab him?

[maine-iac7]

acute intestinal crisis to him with maintained sangramiento

you gotta watch out for that "maintained sangramiento" - it'll getcha in the a*s every time.

wonder if it's hereditary, maybe Raul will be next -

[maine-iac7]

Thanks for the link to some great blogs

[Tallguy]

truly don't think that most American liberals have studied... (fill in the blank).

There, I've basically created a tagline for ya...

[Live and let live conservative]

LOL, not bad.

[firebrand]

And those are his strong points

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

And all those fat-cat Socialists in this country that helped prop him up.

[firebrand]

Or somebody put ground glass in his guacamole.

[auto power]

.....drip, drip, drip....sounds like Castro is either dead or on his way.....

[dead]