Thumbs up to Governor Christie over the issue of Joanne Chesimard

(My new Babalu blog)

Babalu readers are very familiar with the story of Joanne Chesimard, the killer of New Jersey state trooper who was given safe harbor by the Castro regime.

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey wants to do something about it and we are happy to see that:

The Republican governor and presidential candidate sent a letter to the bistate agency Tuesday urging them to reject any regular flight routes between Newark Liberty International Airport and Cuba until Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, is returned to the U.S.

“It is unacceptable to me as Governor to have any flights between New Jersey and Cuba until and unless convicted cop-killer and escaped fugitive Joanne Chesimard is returned to New Jersey to face justice,” Christie wrote in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

“I will not tolerate rewarding the Cuban government for continuing to harbor a fugitive,” he said.

Chesimard was convicted in 1977 in the death of Trooper Werner Foerster during a gunfight after being stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973; she was sentenced to life in prison but escaped and made her way to Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her asylum.

The Chesimard episode is one of many missed opportunities with Cuba.   President Obama was so eager to open a US Embassy in Cuba that he forgot about the killing of Trooper Werner Foerster many years ago.   How do you put Raul Castro and his band of gangsters over the men and women who protect us everyday?

Hooray for Governor Christie.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

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Tags: Governor Christie and Joanne Chesimard  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

The filibuster is killing U.S. democracy

(My new American Thinker post)

For years, I was told that the filibuster was a wise idea to force compromise in the U.S. Senate. However, I don't buy that anymore. I agree with Peter Fenn:   

In the first 50 years of the filibuster, it was used only 35 times. But the last Congress alone had 112 cloture motions filed, plus threats of more.    This is the tyranny of the minority.   

It stinks, to say the least.

Yesterday, a majority of Senators failed to get the 60 votes to have the U.S. Senate debate and vote on sanctuary cities.   Add the Iran nuclear deal to the growing list of "votes" that the Senate doesn't do anymore because of the 60-vote rule.  

The net result is that Democrats do not have to vote "yes or no" on sanctuary cities, or something that most reasonable Americans are against.  They can hide behind something called "cloture" rather than explain their vote keeping sanctuary cities violating federal immigration law.

Sorry, but this is a profile in cowardice. It is legislators avoiding tough votes rather accepting their responsibility to take a position.

The official Democrat position was that this law against sanctuary cities was a misguided effort to crack down on immigrants and would not make the country safer.

Okay -- then make that case on the Senate floor. Tell your constituents that sanctuary cities are good for them. Go on record saying that you're okay with having cities select what federal laws they are going to enforce.

Once again, we sit back and watch this nonsense going on in Washington. Again, it's time to repeal the filibuster and force the U.S. Senate to vote rather than duck!

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

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Tags: The filibuster and the US Senate  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

US-Latin America stories of the week

Guests:  Fausta Rodriguez-Wertz, editor of Fausta's Blog, joins us for a look at Latin America......also joining us is Roger Mailhot, Canadian business executive....we will discuss the growing disillusionment with politics in Latin America, the challenges for the political class in the near term....El Chapo got away again but he may have a hard time surviving in the rugged terrain of Northwest Mexico....he may have been injured in a clash with Mexican soldiers......Brazil and impeachment proceedings......elections in Argentina.....Cuban troops going to Syria?............and other stories from Latin America....

Click to listen:

Check Out Politics Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

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Tags: US-Latin America, impeachment in Brazil, elections in Argentina, El Chapo in Mexico  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!