Date: Fri, 1 Mar 1996 16:25:24 -0500 (EST)
From: billc@aol.com
To: zpub@sirius.com
Subject: Cuba
X-UIDL: 19960301.132522

I have something I need to tell the American people. I know that some
people believe that I have betrayed the principles that I campaigned on
when I was elected president. Frankly, I too am disappointed in what I
have been able to accomplish. I wish Americans could see what I have
gone through over the last three years. The bottom line is that I have
found that I have not been really free to be your President. I don't like
making excuses but perhaps if I share a little some will understand. After
I was sworn in as President I had a meeting with some of the senior staff
of a national security agency (a CIA/NSA like organization but I cannot
say the name of the group as it is classified). They informed me that they
had certain agendas in the world and that if I wanted to stay president I
would have to be supportive of their agenda. I told them that I was
elected the president and thought that it was my job to direct them. They
said that they had plenty of incriminating evidence on me and that if I
knew what was good for me I would yield to their wishes. They
mentioned Kennedy. That stopped me. 

Since that time they have left me alone on most domestic issues, but in
the issues of foreign policy they have pretty much told me what to say -
even to the point of writing speeches for me to read. Seeing a videotape
of myself giving my response after the Cubans shot down two planes
was the last straw. I read what I was given to read and left without
taking questions from reporters. This is not how I wanted to handle the
situation but I was given no option. This was a group that they
supported. This is one issue that they wanted their way. They did not
like anyone interfering with their operations. While I deplore killing
whoever does it, I was not convinced that their approach was the best
one. They seemed to have developed this intricate language of
"measured response" by which they expect all other countries to
respond appropriately. They see the whole world in terms of who they
control and who they do not control. What bothers me most is that they
seem to have no sense of "morality". Everything is seen in terms of
power. The Cuban situation is one of those areas in which they want
things their way. They have been "fighting Castro" for so long that
anything less than a full surrender is unacceptable. 

Another area in which they have let me know in no uncertain terms that
they are "in control" of is the area of drugs. They want absolutely no
discussion of legalization. I wonder if they somehow benefit from the
drug trade but do not have any reliable information. They have told me
to stay out of this one. 

They reminded me that I will probably pick up some votes in Florida for
taking a "hard line" with Cuba. As a politician I am always happy to get
votes but somehow this does not feel like the right way to get them. 

I feel better being able to at least get this out to some people so that
some will understand better why I am doing what I am doing. 

Bill