It is Day 251 of the Siege of America and Bin Laden is still at large and so is our Texas Ranger.

Today the President said we will never do business with Castro's Cuba. Its is, he said, a matter of Freedom. What is our price to do business with Cuba? The President laid it out - Freedom of Speech and Assembly for the Cuban People - Freedom for political prisoners - Free elections with access to the media for opposition political parties - International supervision to insure that the elections are free in fact and Human Rights for the Cuban people. (Human Rights - wasn't that the cornerstone of Jimmy Carter's foreign policy? Wasn't that the policy that the Republicans derided as naïve.) I can't argue with the desirability of any of those things

I'd applaud if I hadn't just gotten back from Wal-Mart. You know I am shocked to find that we ARE doing business with Communist China - indeed I looked at the labels in the clothing section - Made in China. I looked at the packages in the toy department - Made in China. I looked at the packages in the electronics section - Made in China. The furniture section? The outdoor section? You guessed it, it was the same song. They are putting out the patriotic trimmings for Memorial Day. I picked up an American Flag just right for a Veteran's grave - there is the tag. "Made in China"! Boy are we doing business with China!

Something must have happened when I was not looking. Has China granted Freedom of Speech and Assembly for the Chinese People? Has China released its political prisoners? When did Beijing hold its free elections? When did the Chinese Government dedicate itself to Human Rights? China must have done all of those things or we would not be doing business with them, now would we - especially since they are also doing business with Iran and Iraq. We all know that GWB's foreign policy is nothing if not consistent.

Why is their one set of standards for a policy of engagement and investment in mainland Communist China and yet another for the Communist Cuba? You can find the short answer in a word - Miami. The longer answer is that the Governor of Florida is running for re-election and needs Miami - or at least Cuban Miami - in November. Jeb needs those Cuban Republican votes to offset the other ethnic Democrat votes in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Jeb delivered for Dubya in Florida now its is time for Dubya to deliver for Jeb. Those votes are more important to America than expanding the market for farmers in the Midwest.

Was it a coincidence that Mr. Carter just returned from a mission to Havana? Was it a coincidence that the State Department briefing for the former President did not mention suspicions that the Cubans were selling biological weapons to Libya? Was it a coincidence that the President's policy was announced on the heals of the Carter farewell calling for reform in Cuba and an end to the boycott. A more cynical observer might just suspect that President Carter had been set up.

Now, Back to the War on Terror