President Obama shook hands with Cuban leader Raul Castro at Mandela 's memorial . The two leaders exchanged a handshake and then took part in an official photo op before the president left for his trip to South Africa on Tuesday. Like Reagan shaking Gorbachev 's hands , Obama 's act makes sense . He says even a simple handshake can be potent and transformative . Begala : That is not to excuse the horrendous human rights record of the Castro dictatorship . It sends out a ripple of hope from the right side of history .
President Obama shook hands with Cuban leader Raul Castro at Mandela 's memorial . The two leaders exchanged a handshake and then took part in an official photo op before the president left for his trip to South Africa on Tuesday. Like Reagan shaking Gorbachev 's hands , Obama 's act makes sense . He says even a simple handshake can be potent and transformative . Begala : It sends out a ripple of hope from the right side of history .