Bush Admin Does Good Job - Allows Cuba in WBC

[TexasTerror]

Bush showed that while he is a politician, deep down inside he's a true baseball fan. He probably is going to be hoping deep down inside that Cuba goes down to all these MLB star-filled teams...


NEW YORK (AP) -- Cuba will be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic, after all.

The Bush administration issued a license Friday allowing the Cubans to participate in the 16-team tournament.

Baseball's first application was denied in mid-December by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, but the commissioner's office and the players' association reapplied after Cuba said it would donate any profits it receives to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"The president wanted to see it resolved in a positive way," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Our concerns were centered on making sure that no money was going to the Castro regime and that the World Baseball Classic would not be misused by the regime for spying. We believe the concerns have been addressed."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/01/20/cuba.wbc.ap/index.html

[Tribefan]

What the hell would they be spying on? Ballparks? Steroids?

[ngineer]

Bush showed that while he is a politician, deep down inside he's a true baseball fan. He probably is going to be hoping deep down inside that Cuba goes down to all these MLB star-filled teams...


NEW YORK (AP) -- Cuba will be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic, after all.

The Bush administration issued a license Friday allowing the Cubans to participate in the 16-team tournament.

Baseball's first application was denied in mid-December by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, but the commissioner's office and the players' association reapplied after Cuba said it would donate any profits it receives to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"The president wanted to see it resolved in a positive way," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Our concerns were centered on making sure that no money was going to the Castro regime and that the World Baseball Classic would not be misused by the regime for spying. We believe the concerns have been addressed."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/01/20/cuba.wbc.ap/index.html

What a ridiculous comment. They just knew how stupid they looked. :rolleyes:

[Mr. C]

The Treasury Department made total fools of themselves with this one. To me, it seemed like the government was just playing a political game with Cuba and had to change its position when they saw how much flack they were getting for it. A world baseball tournament without Cuba would have been like playing World Cup soccer without Germany, or Brazil.

[FlyYtown]

Good Move on Bush's part. I am all for the spying too; damn we could have some Iraqi or some Terrorist living here talking with them over there... Just some food for thought. Let them spy on me all they want. I didn't do anything wrong; and its for the safety of the nation I love.

Go Tribe.
Go Bush.
Go Penguins.

Baseball is Coming!

[Tod]

Good Move on Bush's part. I am all for the spying too; damn we could have some Iraqi or some Terrorist living here talking with them over there... Just some food for thought. Let them spy on me all they want. I didn't do anything wrong; and its for the safety of the nation I love.

Go Tribe.
Go Bush.
Go Penguins.

Baseball is Coming!

Are you high? Serious question. :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Rabbit3467]

Tod, I have to say I absolutely love the post that you make. I almost always laugh (absolutely no smack intended). The whole spying thing is completely ridiculous, but I do understand why bush might not let them play. We have to remember that this is a communist state, that used to be a main figure of the USSR, and at one time(under the current leader) tried to install nuclear weapons. I don't know if anyone has noticed but there are thousands of cubans who take to rafts each year to try to reach the US.... :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Tod]

Tod, I have to say I absolutely love the post that you make. I almost always laugh (absolutely no smack intended). The whole spying thing is completely ridiculous, but I do understand why bush might not let them play. We have to remember that this is a communist state, that used to be a main figure of the USSR, and at one time(under the current leader) tried to install nuclear weapons. I don't know if anyone has noticed but there are thousands of cubans who take to rafts each year to try to reach the US.... :confused: :confused: :confused:

I think the Coast Guard has noticed... ;) ;)

[Rabbit3467]

I think the Coast Guard has noticed... ;) ;)


xsmoochx

I think you are correct Tod. The coast guard has noticed, and they work hard to save people on makeshift rafts heading from cuba to US. My best friend (would have been best man in my wedding, but was on duty) was in the coast guard for 3 years. Its a very long treck to try to make it from Cuba to US on a raft. Wish it didnt have to happen.

[Tod]

xsmoochx

I think you are correct Tod. The coast guard has noticed, and they work hard to save people on makeshift rafts heading from cuba to US. My best friend (would have been best man in my wedding, but was on duty) was in the coast guard for 3 years. Its a very long treck to try to make it from Cuba to US on a raft. Wish it didnt have to happen.

Cuba could be a huge ally and friend. All we have to do is end the embargo. Once prosperity hits, there's no way they let Castro's replacement take away their freedoms. Hell, even with just cigars, sugar and baseball, it would be enough, not counting all of the rest of the stuff we could trade for, the markets we could open up. Put a MLB team in Havana, and Cuba would have a giant orgasm.

[AppGuy04]

Good, now we can kick their ass!

[FlyYtown]

No I am not high. Bush has had all good intentions for this spying and it is to catch terrorists.

Simple. The democrats can try to blow this up but nothing will happen. They are run under even worse leadership and come 2008 the GOP still should be favorites in the Presidential Election.

[ngineer]

No I am not high. Bush has had all good intentions for this spying and it is to catch terrorists.

Simple. The democrats can try to blow this up but nothing will happen. They are run under even worse leadership and come 2008 the GOP still should be favorites in the Presidential Election.

As they say, this is what the Road to Hell is paved with. Intentions mean nothing. To allow for the potential abuse by any administration in the future completely destroys the very freedom and fundamentals this country is supposed to be about. As trite as it sounds, I believe everyone should read 1984 again. the parallels are amazingly scary.

[Tod]

No I am not high. Bush has had all good intentions for this spying and it is to catch terrorists.

Simple. The democrats can try to blow this up but nothing will happen. They are run under even worse leadership and come 2008 the GOP still should be favorites in the Presidential Election.

Catching (or trying to catch) terrorists is great. But the Cuban baseball team?

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

We don't need to talk about 2008 and such in this thread, there are plenty of others for that. :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

[Rabbit3467]

Cuba could be a huge ally and friend. All we have to do is end the embargo. Once prosperity hits, there's no way they let Castro's replacement take away their freedoms. Hell, even with just cigars, sugar and baseball, it would be enough, not counting all of the rest of the stuff we could trade for, the markets we could open up. Put a MLB team in Havana, and Cuba would have a giant orgasm.


Castro is old, and hopefully coming to the end of his years. But I dont think we should end the embargo until he is out of power. As soon as he is, the embargo should end to try to make the nation democratic instead of communist. I think Cuba could be a good ally and friend but not until castro is gone.

[HiHiYikas]

The former administration allowed exhibition games between Cuba and the Baltimore Orioles.

Democracy almost crumbled there for a minute...