John McCain Shifts & Staggers on Cuba

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 20, 2008

MIAMI - Will John McCain offer brave words for the people of Cuba today? Or will he again suggest he'll negotiate with Fidel and Raul Castro?

As Cubans continue to suffer a half-century of brutal dictatorship, McCain is in Miami on the anniversary of Cuba's 1902 independence from Spain. A morning address will speak to Cuban and Latin American policy. Will John McCain theatrically play Maverick again and suggest the U.S. should ease the trade embargo - as he did in 1999?

McCain once maintained there could be room at the negotiation table with the Castro brothers. A 1999 Miami Herald report details he was alone among the field of candidates for President in suggesting "there could be room for negotiation on the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba." On the stump again in 2000, McCain told CNN, "I'm not in favor of sticking my finger in the eye of Fidel Castro." [CNN, 4/9/00; Miami Herald, 11/18/99]

McCain has now largely embraced the Bush policy of status quo alongside Republican U.S. Reps. Lincoln & Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; each faces an increasingly viable challenge from Democratic challengers. Joe Garcia, former executive director of Cuban American National Foundation and a congressional candidate challenging Mario Diaz-Balart, spoke to McCain's flip-flops during a conference call on Monday.

"John McCain offers a third Bush term. He does not represent the change we need," Garcia said. "He has literally occupied every position on the waterfront on Cuban policy. This is no Maverick. This is someone who has changed his opinion to whatever is most politically expedient. He can't be trusted."

In 1994, McCain opposed cutting off remittances because it punished people "whose misfortune it is to live in tyranny." [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/27/94] He altered that line years later, but for many in the Cuban American community he will stay forever marked by that flexibility, which once lead Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - a current McCain supporter and Cuba advisor to his campaign - to say "that's why I support George W. Bush and not John McCain." [CNN, 11/29/99]

Democrats compiled an account of John McCain's record, which can be accessed by clicking here.

Audio clips from yesterday's conference call are also available below.

JOE GARCIA AUDIO CLIP #1

http://www.fladems.com/page/-/podcasts/051908_JoeGarciaCall1.mp3

"At this critical moment in history, we can't afford a president that all that he wants to do is promote the status quo which has been so ineffective but now seems to be politically convenient," said Garcia. "All polling shows it - but just the humanitarian nature of thinking about this - the current policy towards Cuba is ineffectual, immoral and does not pursue the United State's longterm foreign policy interests, nor does it pursue the foreign policy interests of the region or of promoting a free and democratic Cuba."

JOE GARCIA AUDIO CLIP #2

http://www.fladems.com/page/-/podcasts/051908_JoeGarciaCall2.mp3

"This is no more than status quo policy driven first by the Bush administration that has - in essence - enshrined a policy of failure which has become worse because it is cruel on Cuban families and does not effectuate the policy of the U.S. government which is to promote civil society."

JOE GARCIA AUDIO CLIP #3

http://www.fladems.com/page/-/podcasts/051908_JoeGarciaCall3.mp3

"He's going to be weak in Florida because he's not addressing the reality that he finds on the ground today. The overwhelming number of Cuban Americans favor increased travel to their loves one or even less restrictions on remittances to the civil society in Cuba. The majority of Cuban Americans believe that U.S. aid to Cuba should arrive. The majority of Cuban Americans favor breaking with the status quo of failed policy. Here comes John McCain selling the same policy of an administration that won't achieve any real change. People are weary of a policy that is big on rhetoric and short on accomplishments."