Cuban-born Ros-Lehtinen brings hawk's view to foreign affairs

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Miami Herald

Cuban-born Ros-Lehtinen brings hawk's view to foreign affairs
By Lesley Clark, Miami Herald
In Print: Sunday, December 12, 2010

WASHINGTON — Promising to play ''hardball'' with ''rogue regimes'' and to press for cuts in foreign aid, Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has moved rapidly to put her mark on United States foreign policy as the incoming chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Last week, the Havana-born lawmaker officially became the first Cuban-American to chair a House committee, and the foreign policy hawk signaled she'll challenge President Barack Obama, pressing for tougher sanctions on U.S. enemies, including Iran and North Korea.

''Rogue regimes never respond to anything less than hardball,'' she said. "I pledge to do all that I can to isolate U.S. enemies while empowering and strengthening our allies, and I will not make apologies for doing either.''

The ascension of Ros-Lehtinen, 58, likely scuttles any congressional efforts to ease sanctions against Cuba, and has prompted saber-rattling from Latin America leaders like Fidel Castro.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/article1139402.ece

[EFerrari]

1. You have to know how screwed up Congress is

when Maxine gets investigated over nada and this woman is chairing an important committee.

[napi21]

2. She's just babbeling. She might Chair the Foreign Affairs Comm.

but foreign policy is dictated by the President. She's just puffing up her quasi power.

[EFerrari]

3. Cuba policy is still firmly in the hands of BushCo, and she is one of theirs. n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. She is trouble.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. Of course, what she MEANT was:

"I pledge to do all that I can to isolate U.S."

WE are the rogue nation here - two illegal wars (at least), torture, concentration camps, internal security stripping citizens of their rights...

Isn't it because of that kind of shit that she left Cuba?

[GoCubsGo]

9. Haven't you learned by now?

When the other guy does it, it's bad. It's okay if we do it, especially if "we" are republicans.

She is batshit crazy, and she always has been.

[Judi Lynn]

11. It was the death-squad loving, Mafia buddy, torture using, bloody US supported dictator Batista

who used terrorism against the people of Cuba, and created the environment in which they had no choice, due to excessive suffering and pain to throw his fat ### out of office, along with his racist, stunningly violent, and corrupt associates.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's family left Cuba WITH the Batista scum, as their time was cut short by the revolution. They came here expecting the US would simply wade right in, and kill everyone who overthrew them and they would resume their violent, racist, wildly corrupt government, and control of the Cuban people.

She has stated publicly she and her ilk only expected to stay here a few months.

[EFerrari]

5. Jeb Bush, Ileana Ros Lehtinen, and Orlando Bosch...strange companions

madfloridian's thread from Sept 08:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x191564

[The Wizard]

6. My best recollection of her

is her filibustering on Real Time. Richard Belzer was on the panel and just turned to her and said "shut the fuck up." Maher was pissed off, but Belzer did what was necessary and Ros-Lehtinen stopped her filibuster.

[dmr]

7. Oh, I would've loved to have seen that. I can't stand that woman & don't have

much use for her husband, Dexter, either.

:hi:

[Judi Lynn]

10. Wow. Would give almost anything to have seen that. So glad it happened. Thanks. n/t