Blog Archives

10:18 – Starting a little late (why does the wireless always fail at the exact moment you need it?!?)
10:20 – Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is much more pleasant than expected. She thinks that there should be no change in policy until there is regime change… how well has that been working out so far?
10:23 – Engle takes the mic… apparently history is more important than the here & now
10:26 – Engle support supports Obama’s endeavors, but calls for conditionality before lifting the travel ban (One more vote for Team Ileana)
10:27 – Mr. Mack goes directly after Orbitz for their initiative to OPENCUBA.ORG
10:30 – The first skirmish on the HCFA – Berman cuts Mack off…
10:31 – Delahunt takes the mic… he’s definitely not on Team Ileana – Delahunt calls the Travel Ban a sanction on American freedoms (and “outrageous”)
10:29 – WOW… Mack just called lifting the travel ban as a “bailout for Castro”… way to use linked messaged!
10:32 – Mr. Smith of NJ takes the mic – another person on Team Ileana – calls for lift of ban when Cuba does a 180.
10:34 – Ms. Watson is the most open minded person so far… Opening statements are interesting and focusing much more on “gulags” than one could ever imagine.
10:35 – for the first time we hear about political prisoners in China and the cozy relationship with the US
10:35 – Yoani’s name is mentioned for the first time (Cuban blogger who is repeatedly harrassed by the Cuban “security forces”)… looking forward to hearing more about her!
10:41 – Mr. Faleomaveaga (American Samoa) says this issue is about America, not Cuba!
10:42 – Oh lawd… It’s Joe Wilson sounding like he is reading a 3rd grade book report… someone should take a public speaking class.10:46 – Ms. Woosley asks how many non-democratic countries Americans can travel to (hint: EVERY ONE of them, minus Cuba)
10:48 – Barbara Lee talks about President Obama in red China this week and the global community… and our democratic right to travel to Cuba.
10:50 – Shelley Berkeley (NV-01) plugs travel to Las Vegas instead of Cuba (but does not mention the $14,000 she took from special interest hard-liner PAC money).
10:51 – Rep. Meeks from NY says this is an issue about American freedom!
10:52 – Rep. Scott says that we are at a stalemate and “doing nothing keeps us where we are”… smart guy – sounds like he plays chess (and Ileana plays checkers)
10:54 – Here comes Sheila Jackson Lee – she’s so great! – the last of the committee members to make statements before the witness’ speak…
10:56 – Finally… THE PANEL OF WITNESS’… bios, bios, bios…

General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA, Retired
President
BR McCaffrey Associates, LLC

Ambassador James Cason
Former Chief of Mission
U.S. Interests Section, Havana, Cuba

Ms. Miriam Leiva
Independent Journalist and Founder, Ladies in White

Mr. Ignacio Sosa
Executive Board Member
Friends of Caritas Cubana

Ms. Berta Antunez
Sister of Former Political Prisoner Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (“Antunez”)
Pro-democracy Activist

Mr. Philip Peters
Vice President
Lexington Institute

10:58 – listening to bios and reading my email… statements on Cuba are flying all over the place – but Health Care & TARP will likely steal all the headlines…
11:00 – General McCaffrey takes the mic – he penned on OpEd in the Miami Herald about reforming the Cuban quagmire… I’ll try to get that link for folks soon.
11:02 – General McCaffrey calls for an immediate end to the Travel Ban (and the embargo) b/c it is a failed policy, counter-productive for US interests and Cuba is NOT a threat to US national security
11:04 – Ambassador Cason is trying to pick apart the pro-reform arguments… not shocking from a Bush appointee!
11:07 – Ambassador Cason says Americans don’t speak Spanish well enough to talk about democracy with the average Cuban… and other matters of idiocy.
11:08 – link for the McCaffrey oped is dead in Miami, but it apparently ran int he Cleveland Plain-Dealer as well.
11:11 – Miriam Leiva (founder of Ladies in White) speaks to the committee directly from Havana, on video conference! FANCY… and asks the Congress to immediately lift the travel ban – as this will help the situation for everyday citizens (she knows better than anyone!)
11:15 – Miriam Leiva talks about people-to-people diplomacy… the huevos on this lady are REALLY impressive!
11:18 – Miriam is still talking… about life in Cuba, the repressive nature of the Cuban regime and the need for more interaction with Americans in order to force change in their country.
11:21 – Ignacio Sosa – proud republican Cuban American – is calling for an immediate lift of the Travel Ban… because of American rights & Cuban needs – again talking about bloggers in Cuba… I suspect there will be more about Yoani soon.
11:27 – I LOVE IGNACIO SOSA! He really did PLEAD for lifting the travel ban AND smacked down Amb. Cason with facts on how many Americans speak spanish as their first language (ZING!)
11:29 – Berta Antunez is now hablando – this American understands well, but is waiting for translations…
11:31 – Berta mentions Yoani Sanchez (Cuban blogger) again, talks about the paranoia of the Cuban regime and the perception of the weakness of the democratic global community… and relations with Chavez as a result.
11:33 – This lady is going straight after the Cuban regime – and calling them blatant racists
11:35 – This is the 2nd Cuban freedom fighter and the 2nd relative of political prisoners to speak… and their messages are diametrically opposed.
11:40 – Still listening to Berta Antunez and reading yesterday’s Human Rights Watch report, which calls for lifting the Travel Ban & ending the embargo
11:42 – BREAK FOR VOTES… everyone keep their seats – we will be back in 20… but knowing Congress time, that might be…
12:13 – AND WE’RE BACK! … Phil Peters, fellow blogger at the CubanTriangle & VP of the Lexington Institute, takes the mic.
12:16 – Mr. Peters has already uploaded his statement on Cuban Triangle… and he calls the current policy an “embargo on American influence”!
12:20 – MAN… this guy really knows his business – pulling out names and facts like it’s his job… and with everyone evoking the name Yoani Sanchez, Mr. Peters points out that Yoani supports full US travel to Cuba
12:22 – Statements are over – questions begin… first question – What does YOANI say?
12:24 – WHAT?!?!?!?! Yoani wrote a statement specifically for this hearing! See says that US citizen travel is EXACTLY what Cuba needs in order for much needed reform on the island!
12:28 – After going to Havana via videoconference, Ileana has the mic for 5 minutes… she is setting up an attack on Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.)
12:30 – SPARKS FLY!!! General McCaffrey is going back at her – JUGULAR TO JUGULAR
12:33 – This is out of control – Ileana shows no respect to the General and the General is holding ground and pushing back hard!! Calls Ileana’s argument “silly”
12:34 – Delahunt gets his 5 minutes – starts his time by saying that Gen. McCaffrey is “a great American hero”… the room breaks into applause!
12:35 – Rep. Delahunt is reading from a letter signed by 7 or 8 Generals that say the current policy is COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE for US National Interests… wow!
12:36 – Going back after Amb. Cason’s crazy comment that Americans don’t speak Spanish well enough to make a difference – according to the US Census Bureau, 34.5 million Americans speak Spanish as a first language!
12:39 – Jeff Flake gets 5 minutes… he’s “setting the record straight” on motives of US citizens… saying it is not all about “sex, sand and drugs” (said by Amb. Cason) and that rationale is offensive – noting religious work as a major reason that US citizens skirt the Travel Ban and visit the island.
12:40 – Amb. Cason invokes Lech Walensa & Havel… Flake puts him back to the Q and asks how isolation and a travel blockade has actually helped foster democracy… Amb. Cason has no answer and … circular arguments…
12:43 – Flake & Phil Peters make it clear that H.R.874 does not compel anyone to do anything… but it does provide for freedom for Americans.
12:45 – Rep. Sires of NJ is going on about who speaks Spanish in the school he used to teach in… sounds like someone is killing time!
12:47 – This is CRAZY! Ignacio Sosa is trying to get Rep. Sires to focus on Cuba, not the NJ population who don’t speak as much Spanish as they claim on a Census form.
12:48 – Phil Peters is SCHOOLING Sires on trickle down economics in Cuba!
12:50 – Rep. Mack of FL gets his 5 minutes… he says the US should restrict citizen travel to Iran and Sudan
12:51 – Rep. Mack questions race issues (Rep. Whitey McWhiterson might not understand that racism is real… and bad.)
12:54 – Mack gives Amb. Cason the mic… and Cason wastes time
12:56 – Rep. Woosley says that opponents of reform are “playing an old record” and are not looking for a 21 century solution, as they are stuck in the 20th century – Phil Peters & Gen. McCaffrey both talk about overwhelming support for reform – Gen. McCaffrey says that Castro is stuck in 1959, the US government is stuck in 1961, the US people & the Cuban people want to be in the 21st century
12:58 – Rep. Woosley changes the discussion to AGRICULTURAL SALES and asks Miriam Leiva what’s the what – long story short, Cuba buys the majority of their food from the US and would need a lot more… which is obviously beneficial to the US economy!
1:03 – Rep. Manzullo says blah, blah, blah about hotel workers in North Korea… but you won’t hear him talking about hard-line PAC donations to his campaign coffers!
1:05 – Rep. Barbara Lee recaps historic civil rights struggle (racially based) in the US… and states that no nation help it’s citizens from visiting the US as a result… much more about race relations…
1:09 – Ileana corrects the translator and Rep. Lee puts her in her place in regards to the plight of minorities in 21st century America!
1:14 – Mr. Smith of NJ is asking Gen. McCaffrey if he has ever asked specific questions of Fidel Castro… and is asking question after question after question, but not allowing anyone to repsond…. that man is out of control!
1:19 – Mr. Faleomavaego goes back to national security – Gen. McCaffrey dispels the myth that Cuba of 2009 is the same as Cuba of 1963.
1:24 – Committee recess’ again for 2 votes and back in 15… longest hearing ever – passions remain HIGH!!!
1:51 – Longest 15 ever… Back for 45 more – Mr. Meeks of NY is opening his 5 minutes by recognizing that this is an emotional issue for many, and does a direct follow up with OFTEN WHERE EMOTIONS START, LOGIC STOPS!
1:56 – after minutes of Mr. Meeks trying to ask Ms. Antunez if she is in favor of Cuban Americans visiting Cuba (as is able by an Obama executive order), she answers with one word – NO!
2:00 – Rep. Burton is talking about the Soviet Union… welcome to 2009 buddy!
2:03 – Sheila Jackson-Lee is on the mic – Sound on HCFA is running 2 tracks on top of each other – makes things very interesting, but hard to follow.
2:10 – Reloaded – Sheila Jackson-Lee tells Ms. Antunez to take help when it is offered, which it is now in lifting the Travel Ban.
2:12 – Ileana Ros-Lehtinen thanks all the pro-travel folks for showing up & wearing their stickers & also to all the former political prisoners who came and recognizing that they fall into both camps!
2:14 – HEARING ADJOURNED!