Posted on 03/19/2007 10:28:03 PM PDT by JohnSheppard
Cubans in Miami are steaming mad at former Gov. Mitt Romney for shooting his mouth off in stumbling Spanish, mispronouncing names and erroneously associating a notorious Fidel Castro-spewed Communist catch phrase with freedom fighters.
Politicians in South Florida have lashed out at the former Massachusetts governor and 2008 presidential hopeful for describing the socialist saying “Patria o muerte, venceremos” as “inspiring” and for claimingthe phrase was swiped from liberty-seeking Cubans by leftist admirers of Castro.
The phrase, which means “Fatherland or death, we shall overcome,” was bellowed as a political speech sign-off by the dictator for decades.
At another point in the speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party, Romney bungled the names of prominent Cuban GOP politicians, referring to Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio as “Mario.”
Romney also garnered criticism for his hard-line stance on immigration and ending the talk with the phrase “Libertad, Libertad, Libertad,” a revolutionary saying made famous in the gangster movie “Scarface,” which many Cubans feel plays on cultural stereotypes.
But it was the former Bay State governor’s use of an infamous Fidel Castro line that sparked the most controversy.
“Hugo Chavez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase - Patria o muerte, venceremos,” Romney said. “It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba.”
But scholars and prominent Cubans contend the saying has always been a Communist rallying cry and that it represents the very essence of Fidel Castro’s oppressive regime.
“It means communism. It means Fidel Castro,” said Florida state Rep. Rene Garcia, a Republican who was at the March 9 speech. “It’s a Communist catch phrase.”
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bostonherald.com ...
Now that the Boston Hearld has come down on Mitt, guess he`s toast.
I like Mitt, but he'd better get Jeb's help with South Florida.
Stoopid white people.
He butchered the language and his speech. This is SO disrespectful of your audience. His spin people are going to be spinning for WEEKS trying to clear this up. He is not that bright.
Mitt is jebs guy. I know it's hard to imagine surviving a massive blunder such as a misspeak , but this to shall pass. Although , it takes the heat off of bush for a few hours.
"A" mispeak? Did he even READ his speech before he tried to deliver it, badly?
Don't portray yourself as somebody your not...oopsie we are talking about politicians here.
Doofusio...
(((PING)))
It shows that the locals are ignorant also. I never get upset when someone botches English and English isn't their first language. Heck, I don't even get upset when President Bush blows it and it's his first language.When it comes to Presidential candidates, all I'm interested in is whether or not he can drive the big red, white and blue bus. I simply have fun watching the pandering. It's more fun than a George Carlin concert.
False indignation is for illiterates.
LOL! You guys are parroting the opinion of the reporter. The quotes from the Cubans are actually very kind. Putting this story in the news, helps Romney because it will sear in the Cubans mind that he is the only Republican who cares about addressing the issue.
LOL! The reporters fall for it again!
I wouldn't put ANY credence in anything the Boston Herald publishes. ... And I'm not a Romney fan!
These people are hardly ignorant. Mispronouncing words in a foreign language is forgiveable. But delivering a speech that was disrespectful and ignorant your audience, is beyond stupidity.
Well, at least he didn't say he was a donut.
Not that big of a story.
If it was so serious, then it would have been within a day of the speech. Not two weeks after the fact!!! LOL!
The reporters are just slow onto Romney's plan and this story only helps Mitt because he is the only to address them even if it was awkward.
This is NOT the way to endear himself to the Cubans in Florida, that's for sure.
See, that one worked for JFK, because it was endearing, not to mention hilarious ... to the audience, that is, as you can hear in a recording of the event. The huge outburst of laughter instantly transformed into cheers.
Now suppose he had stood up there and said, "Heil Hitler."
The story is found in other Florida paper articles, published earlier. This version is from the Boston Herald. I don't really care WHEN an article is published, because there are a myriad of sources on the net.
Every candidate is going to put his/her foot in it. The real test is how the candidate handles a blunder. This will be a good opportunity to see how Mitt does.
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