Makes sense. Fidel’s always been an advocate for “common sense,” “middle of the road” health care. Which, per today’s rally in Iowa, is just what we’re getting:

And it’s absolutely true — it’s absolutely true this is a middle-of-the-road bill. This isn’t single-payer, which some people wanted. It’s also not what the Republicans were looking for, which was basically to deregulate the insurance industry, arguing that somehow this would cut down costs — something that defies the experience of everybody who’s dealt with an insurance company out there. (Laughter.)

So, yes, this is a common-sense bill. It doesn’t do everything that everybody wants, but it moves us in the direction of universal health care coverage in this country and that’s why everybody here fought so hard for it. (Applause.)

That was his reply to someone in the audience whining about the lack of a public option. Patience, young nutoot — we are indeed moving in that direction. Obama and Pelosi promised, didn’t they?

Say, I wonder if that’s why Castro’s happy — because he knows where “common sense, middle of the road” reform in this case is likely to lead. That would certainly help explain the excitement in certain quarters of American communist media.

If they’re going to play guilt-by-association with tea partiers, it’s only right that we repay the kindness.

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Thursday declared passage of American health care reform “a miracle” and a major victory for Obama’s presidency, but couldn’t help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what communist Cuba achieved decades ago.

“We consider health reform to have been an important battle and a success of his (Obama’s) government,” Castro wrote in an essay published in state media, adding that it would strengthen the president’s hand against lobbyists and “mercenaries.”…

Cuba provides free health care and education to all its citizens, and heavily subsidizes food, housing, utilities and transportation, policies that have earned it global praise. The government has warned that some of those benefits are no longer sustainable given Cuba’s ever-struggling economy, though it has so far not made major changes.

This whitewash has been brought to you by the AP, which thoughtfully notes that amnesty and climate-change legislation are next up on Fidel’s wishlist for the U.S. Exit question: On a scale of one to 10, how excited is the White House message team to have this endorsement with a repeal campaign already brewing inside the GOP? Now all we need is a thumbs-up from Hugo Chavez and the fall ad slate will be set.