Power Town loves nothing more than to talk about power -- who has it, who's lost it and who will get it next. As you'd expect, news that one of the longest power runs in the world is coming to an end has touched off a flurry of punditry in Washington.

Fidel is resigning as President of Cuba. His brother Raul is poised to consolidate his control. I would note here that two careful students of power politics pointed out to me that Castro did not say he was stepping down as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. It is the party that rules in Cuba. The government ministers all report to party officials. So, it is possible that Castro will remain the true power in Cuba.

(Though it's worth noting we haven't seen Castro in public for a while now, prompting speculation he may already be dead.)

Another important point to keep in mind when you hear all the talk about reform of U.S.-Cuba policy. U.S. law forbids a lifting of the embargo as long as Fidel or Raul remain in power. Given that the military is controlled by Raul and the military controls the economy, I can't see the younger brother giving up the reins.

Finally, it's useful to consider the nature of the regime now in power in Havana. This does not appear to be a group motivated by the kind of kleptocracy we see in North Korea. As Robert Muse, an international lawyer specializing in Cuba, tells me, Cuba's revolutionaries disdain the commercialism of the United States. Far from seeking a more comfortable consumer culture, Cuba's old-guard is quite happy with a life of revolutionary struggle against the United States. Far from wanting better relations with the super power across the water, Havana needs a scapegoat.

I wonder what happens if the next president changes course, depriving the hardliners of an easy target?