U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday that it would be unwise for Washington to lift an embargo against Cuba, despite its pleas following Hurricane Gustav.

Cuba spurned an offer from the U.S. to send hurricane victims $100,000 in aid through relief organizations and said on Saturday that the United States should instead sell it relief supplies and allow food sales on credit.

Rice said U.S. President George W. Bush had made clear that Washington would be “responsive” to the Cuban regime if it was prepared to free political prisoners and had a process for free and fair elections, among other reforms.

Gustav slammed into western Cuba damaging or destroying 100,000 houses and dealing a blow to agriculture. Hurricane Ike is now charging toward Cuba and was expected to arrive late on Sunday, severely threatening sugar cane fields, the tourist hotels of Varadero and the crumbling colonial buildings of Havana.

Are the two administrations playing games with the lives of their people?  A disaster like a hurrican is not the time to be thumping one’s chest over ideological BS.