One Major Difference Between Clinton and Obama? Their Records On Cuba

[bicentennial_baby]

-snip-

When the Senate has debated proposals to strip funding for TV Marti -- the always-troubled initiative to beam U.S. produced television programming into Cuba, which in turn jams the signal -- Obama has sided with those who argue that the $200-million propaganda campaign wastes money and good will.

Breaking with the powerful anti-Castro lobby in the Cuban-American community, the senator from Illinois voted twice to cut off TV Marti funding.

In contrast, Clinton voted to maintain TV Marti funding.

-snip-

The senator from Illinois says he wants to ease U.S.- Cuba travel restrictions, while the senator from New York would maintain the harsher policies imposed by the Bush administration. Obama went so far as to outline his position in an August, 2007, opinion piece written for the Miami Herald, in which he argued that, "Cuban-American connections to family in Cuba are not only a basic right in humanitarian terms, but also our best tool for helping to foster the beginnings of grassroots democracy on the island." As a result, he said, "I will grant Cuban-Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send remittances to the island."

In that same article, Obama also raised the possibility of opening bilateral talks with a post-Castro government.

More here: http://www.alternet.org/election08/77345/

[Tarc]

1. An absolutely meaningless gesture

As long as both candidates refuse to commit to ending the embargo, they both get a big fat "F" for their Cuban stances.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Oh, I agree....Just thought it was an interesting article

:)

[Tarc]

3. If you agreed, you wouldn't have tried to cite it as an advantage for Obama

Nice try.

[Guava Jelly]

4. wow

snark much?

[Tarc]

6. It isn't even noon yet, I'm just getting warmed up.

:smoke:

[bicentennial_baby]

7. No, I just snipped the parts I found to be most interesting

And I don't see where I said that Obama has any advantage, especially considering that I think it hurts him in the GE in Florida.

Chill out, skip.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. How many voters are likely to refuse to vote for Obama if he doesn't support ending the embargo?

How many voters are likely to refuse to vote for Obama if he does support ending the embargo?

He is smart enough to know how to count votes.

[Tarc]

9. So waitaminutehere. The candidate of hope and change is picking his positions

not on the rightness or wrongness of the issue, but on the political calculation of what subset of voters ca he piss off and not suffer too badly from it? Just like any other politician?

Don't tell the rest of Team Obama this; they still think the emperor is wearing clothes.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. He is a politician running for office

I don't think there are many people who are not aware of that fact.

[Occam Bandage]

8. Good. Obama is the only one with a sane policy. No need to continue the Cold War bullshit.

[harun]

11. Obama ROCKS!!! Stop this cold war bullshit already (n/t)