Castro Steps Down

In a weird way, this story would have been even bigger had it happened ten years ago, much less twenty years ago.

Castro evokes LBJ:

I will not aspire to neither will I accept — I repeat I will not aspire to neither will I accept — the position of President of the Council of State and Commander in chief,

Anointed successor / bro Raul is said to have close ties to Russian's foreign intelligence service. He and Fidel also seem to disagree.

This means that B. Obama can now plausibly claim to have an excuse not to meet with Fidel Castro when he becomes president (and the requisite diplomatic throat phlegm has cleared).