Obama To Congress: "Lift The Embargo On Cuba"

by JASmius



Congress to Obama: "Get Raul Castro's balls off your chin and we'll think about it":

Barack Obama urged Congress to follow his decision to reopen the American embassy in Havana by lifting the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.

“We don’t have to be imprisoned by the past,” Obama said on Wednesday at the White House. “Americans and Cubans alike are looking to move forward. I believe it’s time for Congress to do the same.”

Those Cubans that aren't languishing in the Castros' jails as political prisonors, anyway.

The embassy will reopen on July 20th, when Cuba also will reopen its embassy in Washington. Secretary of State John Kerry intends to go to Havana to “proudly raise the American flag over our embassy once more,” Obama said.

The embassy in Havana might reopen in nineteen days, but it's going to remain a dilapidated craphole since it hasn't been renovated in over half a century and congressional Republicans won't fund any upgrades.  Looks like The One will have to whip out his three branches of government again (his pen, phone, and putter) and call the Property Brothers or something.

Besides, it's not as if GOPers aren't already infuriated:

But news of the expected announcement drew jeers from U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL27), a critic of Mr. Castro. “There was little doubt that the Obama administration would pursue its goal of opening an embassy in Cuba no matter the sad reality on the ground,” she said. “Opening the American Embassy in Cuba will do nothing to help the Cuban people and is just another trivial attempt for President Obama to go legacy shopping.” …

The U.S. relationship with Cuba is destined for the 2016 presidential campaign. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a Cuban-American and a 2016 presidential candidate, is leading efforts to ensure the U.S. economic embargo holds. He also has said he’ll oppose the nomination of any ambassador to Cuba unless he sees progress on human rights, the return of fugitives held in Cuba, the resolution of property claims and removal of restrictions of U.S. diplomats in Cuba.

Doesn't sound to me like an embargo lifting is in the offing any time soon.  Although we can never underestimate John Boehner's and Mitch McConnell's robust instincts for "compromise" and "responsible governance".

But O can always just lift the embargo by executive decree, right?  Or is he just so bored that he's going through the motions of asking Congress to do it in order to amuse himself?


UPDATE: Note Ash Carter's weasel words when asked about handing Guantanamo Bay back to the Castros:

Asked whether he could envision a day when the United States might give up the base, Carter told a Pentagon news conference there was "no anticipation and no plan, with respect to the Guantanamo Bay naval station in Cuba." [emphasis added]

....even though the Castros say full diplomatic relations cannot be restored until we give up the naval base we've maintained for the past 112 years.

In other words, tack a "yet" onto Commissar Carter's comments.

He is the man O handpicked to close Gitmo anyway, right?  This'd be the next logical step.