As reported in Sunday’s Miami Herald, President Obama made a very important phone call recently to Joe Rodriguez, a successful South Florida business owner who stimulates the economy by — how to put this delicately? — creating jobs for attractive young women who use their assets to generate income.
Rodriguez received the President’s call while working at one of his three Cheetah Gentlemen’s Clubs. These clubs, as reported in the Miami Herald, offer “the hottest dancers, full nudity, full friction and a full liquor bar.”
Obama’s call was of historic import, as explained by the Herald’s news headline, “South Florida man to accept overdue Medal of Honor for his late uncle’s valor in Korea.” Here’s the lede:
Rodriguez’s uncle, U.S. Army Pvt. Miguel Vera, is among 24 men who served in conflicts spanning World War II to Vietnam. Their heroism was overlooked, and they are now being retroactively awarded America’s highest award for valor.
On March 18, Obama will present the Medal of Honor to Rodriguez on behalf of his uncle at a White House ceremony. The uncle, Rodriguez says, “was my hero always.” Vera died of his wounds in 1952 during a bloody battle in Korea. Previously, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and is now posthumously receiving an even more prestigious honor.
The reason for Vera’s belatedly receiving this accolade, along with 23 others? It’s an effort to right a past wrong. Again from the Herald:
Most of those two dozen recipients are Hispanic, and only three are alive. Tuesday’s ceremony is the culmination of a decade-long review of the military files of hundreds of Jewish and Hispanic veterans mandated by Congress “to ensure those deserving the Medal of Honor were not denied because of prejudice,” according to a White House statement.
Rodriguez recognized the potential public relations problem his three strip clubs might cause the White House and was honest with the Army liaison who made the initial call informing him about Tuesday’s ceremony. “You do know what I do for a living?” he said he told her. The Army’s response was “It has nothing to do with the award.”
Although not the typical businessman called to the White House, the 73-year-old Rodriguez is still a rags-to-riches story. He is also a proud former Marine, who served at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As a show of pride, annually on November 10, Rodriguez honors the founding of the Marines by hosting a celebration at his three Cheetah clubs. The girls are instructed to stop dancing for 30 minutes.
In addition to his military service and patriotism, Rodriguez is a philanthropist who has donated over $1 million to various charities such as hospitals, schools, breast cancer research, and the Marines’ annual Toys for Tots project.
Cross-posted at PJ Tatler
