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How long will GOP hold Cuba hostage?

How long will GOP hold Cuba hostage?

Following President Obama's announcement that the U.S. will restore diplomatic ties with Cuba, Speaker Boehner was quoted as saying, "Relations with the Castro regime should not be revisited, let alone normalized, until the Cuban people enjoy freedom - and not one second sooner. There is no 'new course' here, only another in a long line of mindless concessions to a dictatorship that brutalizes its people and schemes with our enemies."

Then Florida Senator Rubio said the Obama administration has a "long record of coddling dictators and tyrants" and "at a minimum naive and perhaps even truly counterproductive to the future of democracy in the region."

Amazing isn't it, Boehner and Rubio overlooked China. More Republican hypocrisy. President Obama could find a cure for cancer and the Republicans would still find something to whine about.

Now let's read between the lines. This is all about the 2016 election and Florida's 29 electoral votes. The Republicans are coddling the rich Florida Cubans.

Every other word out of a Republican mouth is "jobs," not "safe drinking water," "clean air" or "better education. Just "jobs." So instead of lining up behind the president to support the removal of a five-plus year embargo that hasn't worked, they are playing politics.

The Republicans are so focused on discrediting the president that they'll gladly turn their backs on a new market for the nation's farmers and manufacturers.

So, here is my question. How long is this country going to let the Republicans and the state of Florida hold trade with Cuba hostage? It's about 668 miles from the Port of New Orleans to Havana, slightly longer if you plan to avoid hitting Florida with your ship. The Republican Party is truly an embarrassment to this country.

Tom L. Conley

Huntley

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