Fidel Castro; Elian Gonzalez; Barack Obama

Marco Rubio Hammers NY Times for Claiming He's Cuba's 'Least Favorite Son'
By Randy Hall | July 6, 2015 | 7:32 PM EDT

On Monday, soon after the New York Times slammed Florida senator Marco Rubio as Cuba's “least favorite son,” the 2016 GOP presidential candidate fired back, accusing reporter Jason Horowitz of using the “Castro regime's propaganda” in his article, which was entitled “Marco Rubio Is Hardly a Hero in Cuba. He Likes That.”

In a Twitter message, Rubio asserted that the newspaper was following up its “scoops” attacking him for getting 17 speeding tickets -- most of which were actually received by his wife – and its article accusing him of owning “a luxury speedboat” that is only one-third as long as secretary of state John Kerry's $7 million yacht.

“For the record,” the Republican official added, “I'm proud that the Castro regime feels threatened by us. They fear freedom and democracy.”

Parade: Elian Gonzalez 'Has Been Well Taken Care of By Fidel Castro'
By Mike Bates | December 21, 2008 | 7:51 PM EST
Parade magazine, a supplement to many of the nation's Sunday newspapers, claims to have over 72 million readers.  Today in the magazine's "Personality Parade" section, readers saw this question and answer:
Q Can you give us an update on Elian Gonzalez, the boy rescued off the coast of Florida in 1999, then returned to Cuba over the protests of his U.S. relatives?--Mark Larsen, Calhoun, Ga.

A Elian, 15, has been well taken care of by Fidel Castro. His dad was rewarded with a seat in Cuba's national assembly, and the family was given a spacious home. Says Ann Louise Bardach, whose Without Fidel will be published next spring: "Fidel has been known to forget the birthdays of his own children, but never Elian's."

Heartwarming, isn't it?  That Fidel is such a sweetheart.  So massive is his affection for the young man that he, with the complicity of the U.S. government, forced the terrified boy back to Cuba.  Just yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Cubans:

are preoccupied with staying afloat in a sclerotic economy where basics like toilet paper often disappear from store shelves and most people eat meat only a few times each month.