In GOP got nuthin' news: Rubio hurts Florida with wrongheaded Cuba policy

[flamingdem]

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/rubio-hurts-florida-with-wrongheaded-cuba-policy/1258173



U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio continues to hurt Cuban-Americans, his own Florida constituents and the push for democracy in Cuba with his tired, discredited war against the communist Castro regime. His badgering of tour operators organizing legal trips to Cuba may score him points with some extremist expatriates in Miami. But it is nothing but harassment to academics, other visitors and entrepreneurs, and the Obama administration should move to break down these barriers, not build new ones.

Rubio's office took credit for holding up Senate confirmation of a top American diplomat until the administration agreed to put the tour operators through new bureaucratic hoops. A measure that took effect in May and that is now coming into force as the operators renew their annual licenses requires them to submit loads of additional paperwork about their itineraries in Cuba. This is wasteful to business and another example of the partisan games that make voters so sick of Washington.

The Obama administration has relaxed Cuba travel several times since taking office, making it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit family back home and for U.S. citizens to travel under a broad umbrella for educational, cultural and religious purposes. Rubio charges these "people-to-people" contacts are nothing but simple tourist visits, which are illegal under the 50-year-old U.S. economic embargo.

Rubio's abuse of power and the legislative process is exactly why the U.S. government should not be telling Americans where they can and cannot travel. Operators say the added red tape is forcing cancellations and causing the loss of millions of dollars. And Rubio is especially hurting his own state. Tampa's large Cuban-American population has made Tampa International Airport the No. 2 gateway for direct flights to Cuba, second only to Miami. Why should the entire state, much less the nation, be held hostage by the wrongheaded foreign policy of a senator plying the South Florida vote?

[DonViejo]

1. Rubio's living in the right wing GOP bubble...

he's owned by the older generations of Cubanos, the extremists. Younger Cubanos consider themselves Cuban-Americans.

[flamingdem]

2. He has lost his chance at crossover appeal

His only chance is if people forget about everything he has stood for so far, in other words, another flip flopper!

He's also corrupt and that better not be ignored by the MSM thought the GOP doesn't care

[DonViejo]

3. Hope he gets some decent opposition. nt