All Americans should be allowed travel to Cuba, says new poll

Could this finally be the death knell for the hard core Cubans, soon to be taken over by the new generation? I mean, the embargo has worked so well for the past 30+ years...

A new poll of Cuban Americans shows a strong majority favor allowing all Americans to travel to the island, a major shift from a 2002 survey that showed only a minority supporting the change, the Bendixen & Associates polling firm reported Tuesday.

Executive Vice President Fernand Amandi said he was surprised by the magnitude of the swing in just seven years -- from 46 percent in favor in 2002 to 59 percent in the Sept. 24-26 survey. Only 29 percent were opposed in the new survey, compared to 47 percent in 2002.

(snip)

A campaign to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba has become a key Washington battle ground this year for those who favor and oppose easing U.S. sanctions on the island. Permitting such travel would allow U.S. tourists to visit Cuba. Only Cuban Americans are now allowed virtually unrestricted travel to the island.

At least three bills lifting all restrictions on travel are now before Congress -- two in the House and one in the Senate. While most analysts believe the House may well approve some version of the measure, they say it will have little chance of gaining Senate approval because of opposition from Sen. Bob Menendez, a powerful Democrat.

Amandi noted that the results of the September poll should disarm the argument that the travel restrictions on Americans cannot be eased because of the political power of Cuban Americans who oppose it. ``This removes the final fig leaf for why the time has not come to change policy -- that Cuban Americans were opposed,'' he said.

D.C. couple accused of spying for Cuba

By GottaLaff

Eeks:

Federal officials say a Washington, D.C.-area couple has been arrested and accused of spying for Cuba.

Officials say both are former U.S. government employees -- he from the State Department, she as a Congressional aide.

One official says the spying went on for more than two decades.

We expect to learn more details later today when a federal indictment is unsealed. For now, officials will not disclose the names or any other details.

More than 20 years? That's a whole lot of infiltrating.

U.S. Signals Willingness to Reopen Talks With Cuba

By GottaLaff

Unclenching the fist:

In a new gesture toward Cuba, the Obama administration signaled willingness on Friday to reopen a channel with Havana that was closed under President George W. Bush by scheduling high-level meetings on migration between the two countries.

The move comes as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is trying to fend off pressure from her Latin American counterparts to take an even bolder step by endorsing a proposal that would reintegrate Cuba into the Organization of American States.

The question of how far the new administration is willing to go toward engagement with Cuba carries fresh urgency two months after President Obama lifted restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba for Cuban-Americans with relatives on the island. Even before the administration indicated its new approach, in a letter delivered to Cuban officials, it was clear the reaction at home and abroad could pose political challenges.

US, Cuba Trade Warmest Words In Last 50 Years

By GottaLaff

It's nice to know that all that inexperience is paying off:

Trading their warmest words in a half-century, the United States and Cuba pressed ahead Friday with a dizzying series of gestures as leaders of the Americas gathered for a summit. The momentum was so great that the head of the Organization of American States said he'll ask his group to invite Cuba back after 47 years.

In a diplomatic exchange of the kind that normally takes months or years, President Barack Obama this week dropped restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba, then challenged his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro to reciprocate.

Within hours, Castro responded with Cuba's most open offer for talks since the Eisenhower administration, saying he's ready to discuss "human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners _ everything." Cuban officials have historically bristled at discussing human rights or political prisoners, of whom they hold about 200.

H/t: Ellen

Quickie: The White House gets it; Si se puede!

By GottaLaff

Today's Quickie:

A smart, politically savvy White House Daily Briefing first: A Spanish-speaking briefer is delivering the news from the podium about President Obama's policies on Cuba.

Imagine that: Communicating to the Spanish-speaking community in Spanish.

That was today's Quickie. Was it good for you?

Obama to abolish limits on U.S.-Cuba family ties

By GottaLaff

Que bueno:

In a move that could herald better ties between Cold War foes, the Obama administration is planning to abolish limits on family travel and cash remittances between the United States and Cuba, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

President Barack Obama has decided to fulfill a campaign promise and allow Cuban Americans and Cuban emigres to freely visit and send money to their families in the communist-led nation, the newspaper said, citing a senior administration official.

A White House official confirmed the administration's intentions to lift the restrictions, but said the measure was not a new policy statement and was not imminent. [...]

The removal of limits on family travel and cash remittances would allow Cubans living in the United States to travel freely to the island, instead of once a year as at present. It would also remove the ceiling of $1,200 per person in cash remittances to needy family members in Cuba.

"This is a good humanitarian move that honors Cuban Americans' right to visit and aid their relatives as they see fit," said Cuba expert Phil Peters of the Lexington Institute.

"But it creates one class of Americans who can travel to Cuba at will, so it will add to the momentum in Congress to lift restrictions on all other Americans, who have a right to travel too," he said.

The Wall Street Journal said the move was probably meant to signal a new attitude toward both Cuba and other Latin American countries that have pressed Washington to end a trade embargo that has sought to isolate Havana for more than four decades.

Biden says U.S. does not plan to lift Cuba embargo

By GottaLaff

I'd like an explanation:

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States would not lift the country's embargo on Cuba.

"No," Biden told reporters at a meeting in Chile when asked if the United States planned to lift the embargo.

Unfortunately, that's all the info Reuters provided. I'm sure more will come out eventually.

Castro expresses willingness to meet with Obama

By GottaLaff

Everyone wants to get into the act:

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro says he is open to the idea of meeting with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.

"With Obama, one can talk whenever he wants, because we're not preachers of violence or war," the communist leader wrote in an essay published Thursday on a state-run Web site. "He must be reminded that the carrot-and-stick theory cannot be applied in our country."

Friday's missive marked the second time in recent weeks that a Cuban leader has said he is open to meeting with Obama.

Fidel's brother made an overture of sorts a little bit ago.

Despite the indications that the Cuban leadership is open to warmer relations with its neighbor to the north after 47 years of a U.S.-imposed trade embargo, some in Havana expressed skepticism that the impending change in leadership in the United States will translate in to a changed Cuban policy.

"Obama is a product of the American empire," Carlos Pose said.

But Elisany, a high school student, said she's hopeful. "We've got to wait and see. I hope things change."

There's that word again.

Morning Eye Opener

By Paddy



Yeah, Fidel loooves Barack.

Fidel Castro bashes Obama Cuba policy

By Paddy


So much for the "Obama is a Marxist/Socialist/Communist" meme the wingers have been playing with. (But knowing them, they'll try and do a double back-flip on this- "Castro's just saying this because he really wants Obama to be President")

HAVANA (AP) — Former President Fidel Castro says Sen. Barack Obama's plan to maintain Washington's trade embargo against Cuba will cause hunger and suffering on the island.

In a column published Monday by government-run newspapers, Castro said Obama was "the most-advanced candidate in the presidential race," but noted that he has not dared to call for altering U.S. policy toward Cuba.

"Obama's speech can be translated as a formula for hunger for the country," Castro wrote, referring to Obama's remarks last week to the influential Cuban American National Foundation in Miami.

Obama said he would maintain the nearly fifty-year-old trade sanctions against Cuba as leverage to push for democratic change on the island. But he also vowed to ease restrictions on Cuban Americans traveling to Cuba and sending money to relatives.

John McSame On Cuba

By Paddy


I'm not an expert on Cuba or Cuban-American relations, but listening to McSame speak on on this subject I have to wonder a couple things.

1) How many people are there in that room and is anyone around to run the Miami Spanish language radio stations if they're all there in the room with McSame?

2) 49 years we've had an embargo with Cuba John. How's that working so far? Need another 10, 20 or even 100 years to make it work?

3) As always John, you're about 20 years behind the times-

A 2007 Florida International University poll of Miami-Dade-based Cuban Americans showed that fully 65 percent would support opening a dialogue with Cuba.

That poll also showed a large majority favoring eliminating travel and family remittance restrictions (64 percent) and even lifting the ban on travel by all Americans to Cuba (55.2 percent)

Only 35 percent would wait until both the economic and political systems in Cuba were changed before lifting the embargo.