Since we either are going to have Barack Obama or John McCain as the next President of the United States, I will say right now that I prefer Obama. No, his economic policies are a disaster, but no more disastrous than the present set of Republicans, and I doubt seriously that Obama is a True Believer in Command-and-Control the way that McCain seems to be.

Obama recently said that he would be willing to meet with Raul Castro, which set off our Maximum Leader:

At a news conference where Bush showed unusual passion for a president in his waning months, he said “now is not the time” to talk with Castro.

“What’s lost … by embracing a tyrant who puts his people in prison because of their political beliefs?” he said. “What’s lost is, it’ll send the wrong message. It’ll send a discouraging message to those who wonder whether America will continue to work for the freedom of prisoners. It’ll give great status to those … who have suppressed human rights and human dignity.

“The idea of embracing a leader who’s done this, without any attempt on his part to … release prisoners and free their society, would be counterproductive and send the wrong signal.”

This falls into the “Say What?” category, as far as I am concerned. Here is a president who has shown absolutely no respect to Americans, has pursued murderous policies abroad and unabated abuse of people domestically, and he is complaining about tyrants?

Thank goodness, he drives me to drink.