Two things the McCain campaign does not want to take in in a conference shout with three prominent supporters and reporters: One mayor’s trip to Cuba and stroll along the beach with Fidel Castro — yikes — and another’s disapproval of oil drilling.

“I’m not committed to say I’m for lifting the moratorium at that point,” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker said in conference sign arranged as Barack Obama prepared to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami. “We have to protect our beaches, obviously that’s the No. 1 thing. But I additionally believe we have to look at various options … whether Sen. McCain puts it on the table that the state is going to have the final control … it’s something you can at least talk about.”

As a reporter started to ask a follow up question, former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco piped in, saying no one would jeopardize Florida’s beaches. To demonstrate his support, he recalled a 2002 visit to Cuba. “Something I always wanted to do and

some public thought it was the wrong thing to do.”

Yeah, humans like John McCain.

The Arizona Republican has forcefully criticized Obama for saying he would meet with the Castro regime, as have McCain’s GOP allies in Florida. Greco, a registered Democrat who is backing McCain, was using the Cuba visit to demonstrate a point about drilling and the need to address an energy crisis.

He said he saw oil rigs right on the beach itself in Cuba. “Guess what he
said, Castro, before we mentioned it. He said ‘I know you saw those oil
wells, which looks pretty damn poor on a beach front piece of property.’
He said ‘I had to do that considering we need the fuel.’ ”

“Now, that’s not what we’re talking about .. and that’s a pity,” Greco added. But … “we
must think about all kinds of alternatives to solve our problems that
is not a done deal. that is just one of the things they are exploring.”

Original post by Alex Leary