Bush Refuses to Let Cuba Donate Baseball Prize Money to Katrina Victims

Bush’s string of broken promises to the victims of Hurricane Katrina are well-documented. So this story — wherein, when faced with a choice between politics and compassion, he once again chooses politics — comes as little surprise:

Cuba’s prize money from the first World Baseball Classic has become a political football in President Fidel Castro’s 4-decade-old sparing match with the United States.

Castro said he wanted to donate the money to victims of Hurricane Katrina but U.S. officials say Cuba isn’t getting any prize money.

Cuba finished second in the 16-nation competition and the runner-up was entitled to 7 percent of the tournament’s profits. But under the 1962 U.S. trade embargo, Havana had to forfeit its cut to get U.S. approval to play.

Castro, welcoming Cuba’s players home as champions despite their 10-6 loss to Japan in Monday’s final in San Diego, said on Tuesday the Cuban prize money would be donated to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The Bush administration, however, is not prepared to allow such altruism by the Cuban leader.

After all, it’s not like the victims need the money or anything…