Jeb Bush calls for strengthening Cuban embargo
Jeb Bush calls for strengthening Cuban embargo
By WILLIAM E. GIBSON
Sun Sentinel
December 3, 2014
WASHINGTON — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's call for strengthening the U.S. embargo of Cuba signals a get-tough approach to foreign policy sure to please his political base of Cuban-American conservatives.
One big question is whether Bush's position will alienate other voters, including thousands of Cuban-Americans who oppose the embargo and are streaming to the island to visit family members.
Bush's stance, affirmed during a speech in Coral Gables, Fla., on Tuesday, sets up a clear contrast to Hillary Clinton, the potential Democratic front-runner for president. She wants to lift the embargo and normalize relations with Cuba.
Bush acknowledged this week that he is "thinking about running for president." If he and Clinton are nominated by their respective parties, they will compete hard for Florida, the biggest swing state and home to 70 percent of the nation's Cuban-Americans.
"I would argue that instead of lifting the embargo we should consider strengthening it again to put pressure on the Cuban regime," Bush told cheering supporters at a gathering of the U.S. Cuba Democracy PAC, a pro-embargo advocacy group.
WASHINGTON — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's call for strengthening the U.S. embargo of Cuba signals a get-tough approach to foreign policy sure to please his political base of Cuban-American conservatives.
One big question is whether Bush's position will alienate other voters, including thousands of Cuban-Americans who oppose the embargo and are streaming to the island to visit family members.
Bush's stance, affirmed during a speech in Coral Gables, Fla., on Tuesday, sets up a clear contrast to Hillary Clinton, the potential Democratic front-runner for president. She wants to lift the embargo and normalize relations with Cuba.
Bush acknowledged this week that he is "thinking about running for president." If he and Clinton are nominated by their respective parties, they will compete hard for Florida, the biggest swing state and home to 70 percent of the nation's Cuban-Americans.
"I would argue that instead of lifting the embargo we should consider strengthening it again to put pressure on the Cuban regime," Bush told cheering supporters at a gathering of the U.S. Cuba Democracy PAC, a pro-embargo advocacy group.
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Jeb Bush to Cuban-Americans: 'I am honored to be a soldier in your army'
Published December 03, 2014/
Fox News Latino
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) – Nearing a decision on a presidential run in 2016, Jeb Bush on Tuesday reaffirmed his support for the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba and pushed for a foreign policy that he said could help repair the nation's credibility after Barack Obama's presidency.
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Bush not only reaffirmed his support for the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba, but said America should consider strengthening it. Without naming her, he criticized efforts by Clinton and others to lift the sanctions.
Clinton, who backed the trade limits when she ran for president in 2008, reversed her position this year and now describes the embargo as "Castro's best friend," arguing that the regime uses it as a scapegoat for the island's problems.
Bush said the embargo should remain until the Castro regime is driven from power or releases its political prisoners and holds free elections. He also pledged his support for the event's host, the U.S-Cuba Democracy PAC, one of the policy's staunchest defenders.
"I am honored to be a soldier in your army," he told the crowd in Spanish.
Some of Florida's most prominent Cuban-American leaders lauded him, citing his tenure overseeing a diverse state that has often served as safe harbor for refugees from across Latin America.
"Jeb knows the world," said former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/12/03/jeb-bush-to-cuban-americans-am-honored-to-be-soldier-in-your-army/
