Getting tough on the embargo. Again.

In a tradition played out by every presidential candidate over the past half century, Bush gave lip service to the Miami's wingnut Cuban American community by announcing new sanctions on Cuba.

Yawn.

40-something years of sanctions have been so obviously successful, that all it will now take is tighter travel restrictions to topple the Castro regime. Forget that we already have travel restrictions in place, they will now be tightened!

Take that, Fidel!

Whatever. Bush is clearly reacting to grumblings in the exile community that he hasn't "done enough" to oust that evil dictator 90 miles from Florida.

It is with deep regret that we write this open letter to President Bush to express our disappointment with the administration's present Cuba policy:

We write as your friends to ensure a successful Cuba policy, Mr. Bush.

When you were a candidate for president and again in Miami in May 2002, we heard words from you that gave us great expectations that Cuba policy would soon lead to a free and democratic Cuba. Unfortunately, the administration's Cuba policy has not been significantly different than that of the prior administration.

Bush doesn't actually have to announce anything of substance, or anything that will actually lead to a democratic Cuba. He merely has to pay lip service to the exile cause, call Castro worse than Hitler (or some variance thereof), and announce a useless tightening of the embargo.

The exiles are thus mollified, and can happily return to daydreaming of the days they'll be able to return to the island and reestablish the political and economic dominance they once exerted.

And they'll push that lever for "George Bush" in all important Florida.

All the while Castro rallies disaffected Cubans, warding off potential threats by blaming all of Cuba's ills on the evil embargo supported by the "Miami Mafia".

I swear, the Miami exiles and Castro deserve each other.

Posted October 10, 2003 11:02 AM | Comments (119)