Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) is reputed to be among former vice president Joe Biden’s final choices to become his running mate. Her apparent lifelong fascination with Cuba’s Communist dictatorship should disqualify her from that honor.
In her youth, Bass was involved with a group called the Venceremos Brigade. The group, which still operates, has for decades brought American leftists to Cuba to visit and work on projects sponsored by the totalitarian government. The exact extent of her involvement is disputed: A communist newspaper from 1975 suggests she was a leader and organizer in her native Southern California while Bass herself has played down any leadership role but acknowledged multiple visits to Cuba with the Brigade to “build houses.» Regardless, it’s clear that Bass was involved with an enterprise that had a goal of encouraging the health and survival of a despotic, evil regime.