Still No. 2

He may be "president" in name and for those who think his "election" is a harbinger of real change in Cuba, but the reality is, not so much:

In his first speech as leader, Raul Castro said he would continue to consult Fidel Castro, who stepped down on Tuesday because of poor health, on important decisions of state.

"The mandate of this legislature is clear ... to continue strengthening the revolution at a historic moment," he said.

He added that he was accepting the job on the condition that Fidel Castro continued to be the "commander in chief of the revolution" -- a title created for him during his guerrilla uprising before the 1959 revolution.

"Fidel is Fidel. Fidel is irreplaceable and the people will continue his work when he is no longer physically around."

(H/T for the photo to Claudia.)