ANYONE SURPRISED? – AT 10:51 A.M. ET:  President Obama, true to his leftist pedigree, is getting set to visit Cuba.  Even some Democrats are questioning the timing, as Cuba has not done a thing to free its people from bondage since Obama "normalized" relations with the Communist country. 

Indeed, the Castro regime is now increasing its crackdown on human rights.  From Bloomberg: 

Even some supporters of President Barack Obama’s moves to strengthen relations with Cuba are questioning the timing of his planned visit to the Communist island next month, after arrests of dissidents by Raul Castro’s government reached a five-year high.

Obama vowed Thursday that he’ll promote human rights during his historic visit, the first by a sitting American president since 1928. But more than a year of warming relations between the nations, separated by just 90 miles, have so far failed to slow the Cuban government’s crackdown on political dissidents.

The Madrid-based Cuban Observatory on Human Rights said 1,474 people, including 512 women, were “arbitrarily” detained in January. The arrests have been climbing since the December 2014 announcement that the two governments would improve ties.

“A presidential visit should occasion a broader progress on the human-rights agenda. And I haven’t seen any changes on that front,” said Christopher Sabatini, an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs who has supported the rapprochement.

COMMENT:  Why shouldn't the Castro boys crack down on the opposition?  They know from their observations of the Obama administration that there will be no penalty paid.  Indeed, Obama seems to have a certain respect for authoritarian governments, and little respect for democracy.  In 2009 it took him four days to meander over to a microphone and denounce the Iranian crackdown on dissidents.  And his words were mild, even grudging.

Obama normalized relations with Cuba without demanding a single concession on human rights.  What, precisely, does this country stand for these days?

February 19,  2016