Oh, the irony!
Here was Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy standing in the Bay of Pigs museum in Hialeah Gardens, blasting the Cuban government — because, you know, he’s not going to get left out of the trend — saying that people are being picked up off the street as they cry for freedom, when the question and answer part of the press conference starts.
“Minority leader, you said that the 1960 revolution created tyranny on the island of Cuba and I am asking you a question,” starts Grant Stern, a writer and longtime radio show host in Miami’s political landscape.
“It’s not a Democrat or Republican issue so why do you oppose the Jan. 6 commission, sir? Why do you oppose the Jan. 6 commission, sir?”
You can hear Stern struggling and some scuffling taking place and he could barely finish the question, which he yelled out as he was dragged backwards to the door by three or four police officers. See it for yourself on his Twitter page.
Without getting into the ¿que pinta Kevin McCarthy en Hialeah Gardens hablando de Cuba?, let’s just go straight to what a hypocrite he is for standing by while an independent citizen journalist is hauled off by authorities right here in the U.S.A.
Sure, Republicans might ask ¿Que pinta Grant Stern at this event? But the answer is any pinta he wants. Besides the fact that he writes for multiple publications, including but not limited to Occupy Democrats, and that he has a long-standing radio program and podcast, we live in a free country, right?
Know more: Sos Cuba needs bipartisan support — but not the political grandstanding
If we say the Cuban government cannot decide who is and who is not a journalist, how can we allow our own elected officials to do it.
It seems that some Cuban-American politicians forget this. Because at this event, where Stern was dragged out by police, were Congress members Carlos Gimenez, Mario Diaz-Balart and Maria Elvira Salazar. There also was State Sen. Manny Diaz, Jr., Florida’s Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nuñez and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo, who wants to be the mayor of Hialeah now. And Ladra thinks she saw State Rep. Alex Rizo.
Most of them ignored the mask requirement at the museum as much as they ignored what happened to Stern. None of them said a word. In fact, it seems that Diaz-Balart was snickering after if you watch another video of the moment from a different vantage point.
“And Carlos Gimenez knows me personally,” Grant said. “He was on the radio program.”
Every other reporter there should be ashamed, too. Because the very next question should have been about what they just saw. Something like “How can you all stand there and talk about lack of freedoms in Cuba and dissident journalists being carted away by police and then let this happen?”
McCarthy, too, could have stopped the shameful events. But no. He just stared as Stern’s voice faded into the distance. “He could have stepped up and stopped the police officers, but he didn’t,” Stern said. “This is his ‘Sir, have you no decency?’ moment. And the answer is no.”
It’s especially troubling because among the media there to cover the even was Voice of America, which broadcasts Radio Martí to Cuba. So, basically, McCarthy was setting a bad example in front of the kids.
Stern’s question to the minority leader was legitimate, especially when McCarthy was talking about taking bipartisan action on Cuba because it was a human rights issue, not a partisan issue. Hear! Hear!
Know more: Hypocrite Joe Carollo blasts Cuban regime but acts like a despot in Miami
But if McCarthy is so big on freedom and bipartisanship, then why wouldn’t he vote to simply investigate the activities surround the Jan. 6 seizure of the Capitol by armed insurrectionists, some of whom were asking for his colleagues’ heads? Seems a little double standardy.
Ladra tried to get the police report on Thursday’s incident. But it had not been written as of Monday, said Hialeah Gardens Police Chief Luis Diaz, who also could not just tell Political Cortadito what happened.
“I’ll be completely frank with you. I spoke to my attorney and we haven’t even finished our reports,” Diaz told Ladra.
“I don’t see the big deal to be honest with you,” the chief said, but he added that he wasn’t there when Stern was dragged out. “I had just left with the mayor.”
But, of course, he knows what happened. “Verbally, they briefed me. But until they write the reports and we can look at them, he doesn’t want me to make any comments.”
You don’t say?
Maybe it’s a good thing that the police chief is already talking to an attorney. Because Stern, who had to see an orthopedic doctor after he said he was injured in the incident, has talked to a few and doesn’t plan to let this go.
“Like pushing me away was going to silence me,” he said.
Kevin McCarthy acts like Fidel Castro as Miami-Dade electeds look away added by Ladra on
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