Boston Herald
Sunday, July 11, 2004

Cuba policy as election football

By Boston Herald editorial staff

Among the many political footballs to be tossed around during this election season is this nation's future relationship with Cuba.

     No responsible politician, Democrat or Republican, will defend Fidel Castro, his human rights policies or the economic basketcase he has created 90 miles off our shores. The differences, however, are generally about tactics and the tactics are directly related to our own domestic politics. How do we ``punish'' Castro and yet not further punish those he already rules with an iron hand?
     It is becoming ever more apparent that Cuban-Americans, a huge voting block in Florida, no longer speak with one voice. Some of the differences are generational and related to how recently a Cuban-American emigrated.
     But when such high-profile new emigres as the family members of New York Yankees pitcher Jose Contreras are willing to risk their lives on anything that floats, perhaps the Bush administration needs to re-evaluate what it no doubt thought was a vote-winning policy.
     The tough new restrictions on travel by Cuban-Americans to Cuba (reduced from once a year to once every three years) and the amount of money they bring (reduced from $167 a day to $50), and limiting family members who can be on the receiving end of gifts sent from the United States (now only parents, children, siblings or grandparents can qualify), are making us look like the bad guys here.
     As much as Cuban-Americans want to see Castro gone, they don't want to sever family ties in order to do that.
     A bipartisan Congressional Cuba Working Group, which includes Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) is considering amendments to the recently implemented travel restrictions - a difficult chore in this presidential election season. But some things ought to be above political calculations. This is one of them.