Martinez says goal as senator is a free Cuba

[Mika]

Martinez says goal as senator is a free Cuba
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10183924.htm

''I view it as a really historic opportunity,'' said Martinez, who will be the first Cuban American in the U.S. Senate. ``It will give me a great opportunity to plead with people to better understand the Cuba problem and have a tough attitude on Cuba.''

Martinez, a former U.S. housing secretary, brings a unique perspective to the Senate.

He still has family members in Cuba -- an aunt, an uncle and cousins -- who receive regular remittances from Martinez's mother. He says that having close family members on the island gives him an understanding of people's struggles there. They have visited him in Orlando to seek medical help, and they communicate with him and his family regularly.

Mel's family in Cuba have visited him in Orlando and then returned to Cuba?

Who can blame them? Have you seen Orlando?

[elehhhhna]

1. Weird. I thought he was supposed to represent his US constituents.

[Mika]

2. Oh.. that's so last century.

n/t

[Say_What]

9. The Politics of the Cuba Embargo

The corrupt Cuban-American pols from FL have two agendas: Castro/Cuba and Cuba/Castro. US constituents?? Not in the Bush Brothers Banana Republic. The two Ditzy-Balistic brothers are Fidel's favorite nephews.

<clips>

The Politics of the Cuba Embargo

An August 17 article by Mark Helm of Hearst Washington Bureau about our House Speaker Dick Armey's upcoming retirement casts some light on the way our Congress and Administration have been dealing with Cuba issues in recent years. By way of background recall:

(1) under House rules the House leadership--the Speaker and majority whip (Tom Delay, also from Texas)--determine when, where and how bills are voted on;

(2) bills have been introduced every year and have been pending for many years to repeal the Cuba embargo and Helms-Burton blockade--and have had very substantial, increasing support--but votes on the merits with full debate with one partial exception have never been allowed;

(3) the only other Cuba bills voted on have been on amendments to Administration budget requests for money to enforce the embargo and travel restrictions, which have to be voted on each year, and by substantial, increasing margins the travel enforcement money has been turned down in the Hou! se the last three summers and once in the Senate (where it comes up again soon, maybe next month);

(4) in November, 2000 a vote was finally forced on a bill which would allow medicine and nutritional food to be sold to Cuba, which passed in both chambers by large margins only to be gutted in conference by the addition of two provisions tacked on by Miami Congressman Diaz-Balart, apparently appointed to the conference committee by Armey and Delay, which prohibited normal use of credit in sales to Cuba and "codified" the unconstitutional travel restrictions (completely unrelated to the bill which had been voted on), which was then signed into law by Clinton in that form;

http://www.counterpunch.org/crumpacker0821.html

[katmondoo]

3. Iraq is a good example of the USA bringing Democracy to a country

Is that what he wants?

[The Zanti Regent]

4. Gee Mel, gotta put that on the back burner, we ain't got the cash

all those deficits...

[Atlant]

5. He might do better to "Free Florida First!"

I understand that the people in Florida are being denied their right
to vote in democratically-held elections.

Atlant

[DeadManInc]

6. cuba

Fuck Cuba! We have enough problems here without Cuba. If he wants to help them then ship him out. They can pay his salary. How about working for the country paying your bills asshole.

[liberalnurse]

7. Looks like Castro will need

a long list of food tasters!

Next.......

[Say_What]

8. "I understand that the people in Cuba are hurting badly."

He understands the people in Cuba are hurting badly??? Typical gusano MORON statement. Well, duh, 44 years of the US trying to strangle Cuba's economy in an attempt to incite the general population to overthrow their government would do that.

[geomon666]

10. Good lord..

when will these ignorant dumbass people down here learn. He doesn't give a fuck about Cuba, neither do most of the CANF cubans down here. They're interested in money and power and they get more of it with each passing day. They'll vote to put more of a strangle hold on the island and then blame Castro for the people suffering.