In the course of elections, endorsements are sought, offered and celebrated by candidates seeking an advantage or reason to "earn" the media spotlight.

President Obama has received an endorsement that hasn't quite made splashy headlines or his campaign material just yet.

The Miami Herald reports that the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's niece, Mariela Castro, "hailed" Obama in a speech promoting "justice and social equality" at a California gay rights conference hosted by the Rainbow World Fund.

Castro noted in those same remarks that the Cuban-American community that leans typically to the right is "a small group of delinquents," as she proclaimed her vote would be cast for President Obama.

As a side note, Florida Republicans led by U.S. Congresswoman Mario Diaz-Balart protested the visa awarded to Castro in the weeks before her travel into the country as a violation of Presidential Proclamation 5377 that prohibits non-immigrant visas to Cuban Communist Party members.

Rep. Diaz-Balart publicly criticized the Obama administration's approval of the current travel of Cuban President Raul Castro's daughter: "It is reprehensible, unacceptable and is greatly irresponsible of the administration to allow these high-level Communist Party regime officials to come into the United States on these PR tours," foxnews.com reported.

The national press secretary of the Democratic National Committee, Melanie Roussell, dismissed the criticisms as politically motivated.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups assembled in San Francisco reportedly cheered and rose with applause to Castro's declaration: "What we want is the power of emancipation through socialism!"

Anyone want to explain to Castro and the "progressives" the fact that emancipation and socialism are mutually exclusive?