Not that it matters to those in South Florida who demand politicians genuflect to their Cuban-exile cause, but Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan has voted–more than twice–against the Cuban trade embargo. They were confident that the congressman from Wisconsin, where unfettered agriculture trade and freedom to travel tend to trump the vendetta agenda of Cuban-American hardliners, would come around. He was, after all, a Republican on a presidential ticket. He had no other choice.
And sure enough, last Saturday Ryan had his scheduled epiphany right there in Little Havana’s Versailles restaurant, where political pander is as much a menu staple as cafe con leche. Bearing witness were those who make it their business to leverage their personal exile politics and ample influence against the best interests of this state and this country. Prominent among them: Chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart; his brother, former Congressman and current Telemundo anchor Lincoln Diaz-Balart; and former Gov. Jeb Bush, who’s fluent in Spanish as well as Versailles-speak.
“They’ve given me a great education–lots of us in Congress–about how we need to clamp down on the Castro regime,” recited Ryan. Not going off script, he accused the Obama Administration, which had eased some travel and remittance restrictions, of “appeasement” and aired out the standard “brutal dictator” applause line for local consumption. He also promised that a Romney Administration would support “pro-democracy” groups in Cuba.
Here’s what he didn’t do: Offer support for pro-democracy groups in South Florida, where a well-heeled, revenge-driven minority still hold American foreign policy hostage when it comes to Cuba. Too bad Ryan didn’t champion a “South Florida Spring,” while he was in the pro-embargo, anti-freedom-to-travel hood.
But that would have taken guts, not to be confused with gall.