Robert Schlesinger

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Are Wrong on Cuba and the Embargo

January 13, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Hillary Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today that President-elect Obama wants to lift travel restrictions on families wishing to visit relatives in Cuba. This is not, strictly speaking, news: It's a policy Obama articulated (and Clinton opposed) during the campaign.

And while it's a laudable step, it's not nearly enough. The embargo has outlived its usefulness (in much the same way that Fidel Castro has outlived Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, etc., etc.) and should be lifted. That would be a bold stroke—but it's a secondary issue, and so that's not going to happen.

Tags:
Cuba,
Barack Obama,
Hillary Clinton

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Lifting travel restrictions and negotiating an end to the embargo should take place simultaneously. There is a bill in Congress to allow everyone to travel to Cuba. It would be a good change to move towards to reinstate diplomatic relations and free trade.

Alina M. Lopez Marin of CA 9:22PM February 17, 2009

Fix the Problem

The quickest fix I see to the Embargo, Fidel passes on in his sleep and his brother has a massive stroke over his brothers death, and joins Fidel.

BC Wink of AZ 2:02PM February 08, 2009

No.... you do not have the RIGHT to visit any country. You have a PRIVILAGE to visit. THEY have the RIGHT to refuse you enrty for ANY reason. Stop thinking that because you are American that you have the right to do anything you want in other countries...... YOU DON'T!!!

Every person out there of KS 3:54PM January 22, 2009

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger is managing editor for opinion at U.S. News and World Report, overseeing all opinion editorial content. He is the author of White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters. E-mail him at rschlesinger@usnews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rschles.

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