Jan/2014: Kerry to Vatican: Help free Jewish-American jailed in Cuba

[karynnj]

60. Her book spoke of this as something she had wished had happened -- there is nothing to

suggest that "she established the groundwork" on this.

Many MANY people had called for the end of the embargo long before Obama became President. This was not a new idea. (As to her husband working to improve relationships - he signed Burton/Helms that added sanctions - Kerry voted against that.) However, this deal does not lift the embargo - because due to Burton/Helms they need Congress to do so.

It is fair to say that HRC in her book did say that she was in favor of improving relations. There is absolutely no reason to think this influenced Obama, who was for normalizing relations when he ran in 2008. Here, the credit she deserves is that she is on record that the policy should change.

However, that does not mean that she gets credit for work that she had no involvement in that started after she was out of office. ( I will take this back if it turns out that she had any back channel role on this.)

If you look at WHY this worked, it is clear that the one brilliant move that allowed it to happen was the involvement of Pope Francis - respected by both countries. It was not - from what anyone has suggested Hillary's idea. It does not surprise me that it was Kerry, who is both a Catholic, with extensive exposure to Jesuit priests (including his long time friend Father Drinan) and a pretty creative diplomat. The other thing he can get credit for was using his long relationship with the Cuban FM to create pressure to finalize this by saying that it becomes impossible if Gross were to die. (This is a very simple politic truth) In addition, he is credited with having reached out to Gross after his mother died fearing that it - added to all his troubles - could be too much.

Then there is what Kerry did not do. It was Obama as President who set this as a goal and approved it - and it does not matter much if HRC or JK or both suggested he do it. Only the President is really responsible for what his administration does. We also know the two men who worked out all the details from the US side. They did not start with a plan laid out by anyone. It is to their credit that they got the details to work.

It is precisely articles like the one you linked to that BLM is complaining about. I actually sympathize with Clinton on the fact that they are out there. She personally is not claiming to have been the mastermind on this. What she has said is that she supports what Obama did on this.