On Cuba, John Kerry has flipped and flopped like a wet marlin on a Key Largo yacht, in a desperate bid to win the Miami Cuban exile vote without alienating his Castrophile voter base.

Ironically, it was Castro ally Hugo Chavez of Venezuela who first noticed Kerry's dilemma.  After Kerry rejected the strongman's endorsement, Chavez declared that he didn't take Kerry seriously anyway. So much for Kerry's ability to get world leaders behind him. He can't even impress a Castroite Latin American oil supplier.

Flip. Flop. Flip ... Kerry's tried to avoid expressing his real stance on Cuba like a phony barefoot swami dancing over a bed of hot coals. But Kerry finally showed his hand by appointing high—priced leftwing lawyer Gregory Craig to be his coach in the upcoming presidential debate. 

Attorney Craig, you may recall, was the lawyer for Juan Miguel Gonzalez,  the absentee father and low—level Castro informant who came forward to claim 6—year—old Elian Gonzalez as his son. Craig's actions triggered a federal goon—squad—like raid on the Miami Gonzalez family home in 2000, to 'rescue' the child for his dad, and render meaningless his drowned mother's sacrifice in the Florida Straits, taking him to freedom.

Craig was a nasty, divisive man, who treated the child's Miami relatives like criminals, isolated the child with Castro agents after the raid, and refused the family that had cared for the child the smallest courtesies like the right to say goodbye. No one knows who paid Craig's salary, but he's been cozy with Castro for years, through the liberal National Council of Churches.  The Miami Herald, knowing its readers, has played up the story through its Elian angle. As Kerry prepares for the presidential debates, it's pretty clear he's written off Florida, too.