• by P.J. Bednarski  @pjbtweet, December 18, 2014

President Obama’s announcement that the U.S. would begin to normalize relations with Cuba surprised journalists and the political world Wednesday. But it just could be, somebody in the White House watched the second season of Amazon Fire’s political comedy “Alpha House” and got the idea.

Jonathan Alter, the former television and Newsweek political savant who is executive producer of “Alpha House” tweeted Thursday morning, presumably in jest: ”Obama clearly stole his Cuba idea from Sen. Andy Guzman of ‘Alpha House,’ who pushed it from Repub side of aisle in Season Two.”

In the series, the fictional Republican senator from Florida, Andy Guzman (played by Consuelos), quite to the contrary of the real Sen. Marco Rubio, makes ending the cold war with Cuba a part of a strategy to gain the support of younger Cuban Americans as he contemplates a bid for the presidency.

He also does it to regain the love of a Cuban-American heiress and Republican benefactor who broke off their engagement because of his philandering. The Cuban story line begins in episode 7 of the second season of the show and crests in episode 9, where he calls the Cuba sanctions “failed policy” and she calls them a, “bitter, pointless Cold War relic.” She also thinks it will be good business.

By contrast, Rubio, also considered a possible Republican presidential candidate has been an early, vocal critic of Obama’s decision, and many Cuban Americans and others have, too. On Wednesday, Rubio called Obama’s actions “disgraceful.”

“Alpha House,” also starring John Goodman, Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy and Yara Martinez, was created by “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau. The second season began production in July, and debuted Oct. 24, the same month, it’s now been revealed, that the Vatican says it received delegations from both countries to help forward a resolution.