House votes to overturn new Bush restrictions on gift packages.....

[peterh]

families send to Cuba

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/07/07/national2220EDT0781.DTL

The House dealt an election-season setback to President Bush on Wednesday by voting to overturn restrictions his administration has issued on the gift parcels that Americans can send to family members in Cuba.

The 221-194 vote was won by a coalition in which Democrats were joined by nearly four dozen farm-state and free-trade Republicans to rebuff the president. The vote came just four months from an Election Day in which Bush would like to once again win Florida, the pivotal state in his 2000 victory, by gaining the support of that state's Cuban-Americans.

The House vote followed a familiar pattern of recent years in which the Republican-run House -- and sometimes the Senate -- has voted to block Bush policies restricting trade and travel with Cuba, which communist leader Fidel Castro has now run for more than four decades. Last year, both chambers voted to end curbs on travel to Cuba by Americans, only to see lawmakers back away after Bush issued a veto threat.





It’s about time….a few friggin’ Cubans in Florida should not dictate policy for the rest of the country….it’s a small victory, but a V nevertheless….

[ButterflyBlood]

1. how'd the vote go on this?

n/t

[amandabeech]

2. I saw a TV spot on this.

It was probably MSNBC. Anyway, those Cubans were REALLY angry. They looked like they were ready to riot. As I understand it, the bill also further restricted travel to Cuba, and the amount of luggage and cash one could take on the trip. The spokesperson for a Cuban-American organization of course lauded this attack on Castro.

If Bush gets his way on this, there may be some Cuban-Americans pulling that Kerry lever in southern Florida. I think for many, the welfare of their families in Cuba is more important right now than forcing Castro out.

In addition, the political head of Miami-Dade who refused to cooperate with the recount could end up being a little more cooperative this time if his voters are angry enough. In Florida, every vote will help.

Cuban-Americans may a huge number of Cubans' lives better through these packages. The c/a's also send a lot of cash, and there is a considerable amount of U.S. currency floating around Cuba.

[Senior citizen]

3. Bush blew the Florida Cuban vote

and the veto won't get it back for him. As somebody posted before, Cubans know how to carry a grudge.

[Mika]

8. Please be clear! Miami's Cubans are EX Cubans! Real Cubans..

Real Cubans IN Cuba don't carry any grudges against any American. Americans are welcome in Cuba, regardless of political affiliation.

Please keep in mind that real Cuban-Cubans don't reside in S Florida.

Also, there is no such thing as a "Cuban sandwich" in Cuba. It is a MiamiCuban invention.

[progressivebydesign]

4. I'm glad.. this was a cruel policy. N/T

[Judi Lynn]

5. Here's a clear example of the right-wing lies about Cuba

mentioned in the article:

The administration and its supporters have said the restrictions are aimed at weakening Castro. They say the Cuban government seizes the packages and demands money from families before the parcels are delivered -- payments they say garner Castro millions of dollars annually.
(snip)

Why, if the Cuban government "seizes" the packages Cubans living in the States send to their relatives, do they keep sending them? It's easy for them to learn whether or not their packages arrived. They can call, write, or e-mail them, or ask them when they visit.

If the wheels come of this stupid embargo and travel ban scam they've got going, and Americans get to go to Cuba and find out for themselves what's going on, the entire charade is going to be exposed.

You can be sure they have painted themselves into a corner, and their only hope is to keep up their bluff. They can go get Cheneyed.

Thanks to peterh for this important news.

[Mika]

9. Jeezuz. I've sent packages to Cuba!

None were siezed. None were held for ransom.

What an ugly and putrid lie.

Thanks for pointing that one out.

[Judi Lynn]

10. One of so many lies, isn't it?

It's really gratifying to hear your personal experience on this subject.

It just didn't seem possible they were telling the truth, as I've NEVER heard ONE WORD of complaint EVER about a real package being taken before it reached its destination in Cuba.

It's like they spin these stupid yarns just for the hell of it, knowing that if no one ever gets to go there ever again, no one will ever know what they've done.

Meanwhile, the entire country, with the exception of the radical right, and those who profit from the hostility (as in the entire hate industry in Miami), wants to drop this nasty business and normalize relations. That includes both Republicans and Democrats.

Please check this link, it just came in. I'm going to use it for another thread:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37648-2004Jul8.html

[struggle4progress]

6. Our outdated Cuban policy is ripe for bipartisan attack. eom

[struggle4progress]

7. kick

:kick: