Ryan Criticizes Obama’s Cuba Policy and Explains His Shift on the Issue

[Judi Lynn]

Source: New York Times

Ryan Criticizes Obama’s Cuba Policy and Explains His Shift on the Issue
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
Published: September 22, 2012

MIAMI — On a morning intended to reassure hard-line anti-Castro voters, who are a powerful force in South Florida Republican politics, Representative Paul D. Ryan made a pilgrimage to a restaurant here at the heart of the Cuban exile community in Little Havana. Part of the reason: to criticize what he called President Obama’s “appeasement” of the Cuban government.

But the visit was also intended to do some fence-mending of his own: as a young congressman from a largely rural Wisconsin district, Mr. Ryan, now Mitt Romney’s 42-year-old vice-presidential running mate, supported ending the trade embargo with Cuba, an unpopular sentiment among many Republicans and Cuban exiles in this part of Florida, one of the most crucial swing states in the general election.

“If we think engagement works well with China, well, it ought to work well with Cuba,” Mr. Ryan had said a decade ago in an interview with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The embargo doesn’t work. It is a failed policy,” he said, adding that while many Cuban-Americans were passionate in their support of the embargo, “I just don’t agree with them and never have.”

And so on Saturday morning, Mr. Ryan appeared alongside a powerhouse lineup of Florida Republicans including former Gov. Jeb Bush at the restaurant Versailles, long famous as a gathering place for the anti-Castro movement.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/us/politics/ryan-criticizes-obamas-cuba-policy-and-explains-his-shift-on-the-issue.html?ref=politics

[elleng]

1. Posted earlier.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251103929

[Judi Lynn]

2. Didn't see it in that forum. It is worth posting in LBN, with acknowledgement

you saw this article earlier, for sure.

It's a good articke to spread around, showing shrieking dishonesty from Ryan concerning what should be a firm conviction concerning this dirty embargo. He did a lousey job trying to disguise his natural sleaziness on this issue.

[elleng]

6. Ok w me. important policy discussion.

[L0oniX]

3. "a powerful force" = bullshit!

Their "power" continues to be on the down hill slide.

[PSPS]

8. True. The elderly Batista crowd is dwindling pretty fast now.

[schmice]

4. Ryan is a whore.

He will say anything when it suits his political ambition. He is shameless.

[Socal31]

5. Why am I still not allowed to smoke a Cubano and sip on rum on a Havana beach?

I really hope this is something Obama addresses in his 2nd term.

[flamingdem]

7. Me too. I think he has to this round

and the pressure will increase until he does.

See you on the beach there with a mojito and we'll take a photo to send Marco Rubio, who will ideally be busted for illegal doings by his friend Rep. Rivera - you know the one under Federal investigation!

[magic59]

9. GOP, taking the side of Anti Cuban terrorists living in south Florida

Its time to lift the Cuban embargo and normalize relations with Cuba. Tell those anti-Cuban nuts in FLA to take a hike off a tall bridge.

[CharlesSpencerKing]

10. New Anti Embargo screenplay Fidel's Story

SYNOPSIS

This low budget production is in two 45 minute acts with three scenes per act. Sets are: Harpo green room; A stage set for an infomercial (multimedia backdrop optional) overlapped with a two chair interview set with cameras.

Fidel Castro has agreed to do an interview in Chicago at Harpo Studios with Oprah conducting the first part (act one) and Christiane Amanpour conducting the second part (act two). Fidel has three conditions for the interview 1) That he be given up to five minutes to answer each question uninterrupted with no follow up. 2) That every third question be asked from the live audience. 3) That the first five minutes of each of the two segments be a presenter sharing facts on Cuba. Initially the networks balk at this as it seems a commercial promotion for Cuba, yet when Fidel agrees to allow the networks to verify the facts presented, the networks agree.

Fidel's goal is to share Cuba's perspective of historical events in the hope that the American people will flex their muscle and change a misguided and largely ineffective policy. Cuba policy has been framed by right wing expatriate Cubans who fled Cuba with the dictator Batista, they champion pro embargo and travel restrictions to Cuba. However, with the Internet we Americans are learning that the International observer's opinions of US - Cuba history are quite different than the tall tale we have been fed. Fidel's goal is to move US opinion from the exclusionary current position to a more centrist International view through this interview.

This is a hot topic full of controversy and the screenplay reflects this with many interruptions from the rabid right. The questions are hard hitting and pointed, and Fidel patiently and politely answers them all. The English version is complete, and the Spanish version will follow. The two productions have different audiences, one in the US/ Canada and the other Latin American capitals.

FULL SCREENPLAY HERE:

http://www.juntoboxfilms.com/projects/fidel-s-story-a-screenplay-for-theater-film#.UHhfMsXA_0c