OK, then let's keep it real. Remember, Moore was there working on a documentary film. That's reporting, whether you agree with the reports or not. Even editorial reporting that takes a side is still reporting, and a documentary film falls under the category of journalism, or PBS and other documentary filmmakers, even lightweight cable travel networks, wouldn't be able to go to Cuba and film what they film regularly about Cuba. (Guantanamo, incidentally, is an American possession, so he wasn't in alleged violation there, only in mainland Cuba.)

The records show that Moore clearly applied for the visa, and OFAC in retrospect is alleging "no determination was made." Yet Treasury is having to say they're only investigating "possible violations" of the travel embargo. If they had an actual violation, reporters would have the proof of a denied visa out front on Fox, among other places, so fast your head would spin. "Investigating possible violations" is precisely what government offices say when they're trying real hard to cause problems for someone but don't have anything solid to go on.

The reality is it looks a heck of a lot like an bureaucratic vendetta against someone who's been a thorn in the side of Washington, D.C. and the Bush administration for six years. Fred Thompson is milking this not-yet-news item for everything it's worth so he has a right-wing sound byte with which to kick-start his campaign.