well for a number of years. i don t hesitate to visit cuba when i want to. i ve known his brother cadel as well. that was the first time i believe an incumbent american president has shaken hands with the leader of cuba. i hope that will be an omen for the future. a princeton history professor joins us as well as gloria borger. welcome to both of you. gloria, let me begin with you. just quickly off the top, was the handshake a glimmer of hope, was it just much to do about nothing? you know, where you stand depends on where you sit. i mean, we ve just gotten word that congresswoman ross lateman in questioning senator john kerry today said that when the leader of the free world shakes the bloody hand of a ruthless dictator like raul castro, it becomes a propaganda coup. let me stop you. michael, play it. mr. secretary, sometimes a handshake is just a handshake.
the thing and, yes, this is a proxy fight with president obama. it s not that they re just close personal friends of the president and the first lady s. it s that they were big fundraisers for president obama. and, you know, republicans and the right wing and senator marco rubio and the two members from congress, congresswoman ross lateman and diaz ballard, they re trying to make it seem like because they are big bund lers, money people for president obama, they then got special treatment to go over to cuba. you know, beyond what the travel restrictions are. and, you know, a source says that the treasury department cleared that. and a source inside treasury tells me that they will be responding to a letter from those two members of congress that was sent over to the treasury looking for answers. and, you know, my hunch is if treasury is responding this quickly to to these two