Speaking of Cuba, the usual suspects are not giving up without a final panderfest: doing what they can to delay inevitable normalization, slow down history and ignore the best interests of America, Florida and the Cuban people.
In addition to presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, as well as the Díaz-Balarts and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, we now have Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying–no, boasting–that his chamber is unlikely to approve an American ambassador to Cuba. He also suggested–no, threatened–to fight Obama administration efforts to fully lift trade and travel restrictions that have limited commerce and tourism between the countries for decades.
Detente reality and July 20 embassy openings notwithstanding, some things don’t change–especially with presidential-candidate debates and primaries now looming. “Legacy-shopping” references are guaranteed.
The president says we need not remain “imprisoned by the past.” GOPster leadership, we are again reminded, is still pushing for Cold War incarceration.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, the Tampa Democrat, put the diplomatic normalization/embassy issue in proper context and priority order.
“An embassy in Havana will enable us to effectively promote American interests, protect and assist American citizens traveling to Cuba, and increase engagement with the Cuban people,” she said. “An embassy is not a gift to a foreign country, but represents a sign that two countries are committed to deepening bilateral relations.”
Indeed, two distinctly different countries with history that includes a nuclear trip wire, can reach accommodation because it’s about time and about common interest. But two distinctly different parties with history that includes a government shutdown can’t reach agreement on much of anything because it’s about polarizing politics and a gullible electorate.