Leftists just don’t know when to stop.  One can argue that the Cuban embargo has been a failure without trying to turn Fidel and Raul Castro into heroes.  Unfortunately, the Congressional Black Caucus couldn’t figure that out, and instead beclowned themselves by fawning over the two men who have oppressed journalists and democracy activists for 50 years:

“The fifty-year embargo just hasn’t worked,” CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Ca.) told reporters this evening at a Capitol press conference after returning from a congressional delegation visit to Cuba. “The bottom line is that we believe its time to open dialogue with Cuba.”

OK, that’s a defensible position.  So far, so good …

“It was quite a moment to behold,” Lee said, recalling her moments with Castro.

Aaaaaand there we go down the rabbit hole.

Does she mean in the sense that meeting Joe Stalin would be?  Unfortunately yes, although not in the sense that most free people would think.  Nor was Lee the the only besotted participant:

“It was almost like listening to an old friend,” said Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Il.), adding that he found Castro’s home to be modest and Castro’s wife to be particularly hospitable.

“In my household I told Castro he is known as the ultimate survivor,” Rush said.

How sweet! Did they by chance ask whether the Castros offer that kind of hospitality and friendship to people who just want to vote freely in open elections?  Or do they get thrown into prisons and accused of treason for their desire to have a representative democracy run Cuba instead of a military junta serving the dictators who suckered them into the meeting?

Apparently not.  Supposedly, Democrats stand for human rights, but these Democrats went to a nation with one of the world’s worst records on human rights — and talked about Barack Obama.  They demanded an end to the embargo.  Apparently, they didn’t bother to demand an end to oppression and to dictatorship, which gives an indication of the CBC’s priorities.

I wonder if they got autographs from the Castros, too.

Update: Greg Hengler has video of Lee defending the visit.