by FOXNews.com
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
John McCain lashed out at Barack Obama Tuesday for his pledge to meet
"unconditionally" with oppressive leaders, including Cuba's Raul Castro,
if elected president.
Obama's plan to soften the decades-old U.S. embargo against the Cuban
regime would "send the worst possible signal to Cuba's dictators,"
McCain said during a town hall meeting in Miami on Cuban Independence Day.
Cuban-American voters — who typically favor a harsh stance toward
dealings with the Cuban government — make up an important voting bloc in
Florida, a swing state in U.S. presidential elections.
The Arizona senator accused Obama of "shifting positions" toward the
embargo — saying Obama first pledged to lift the embargo and now favors
easing it.
McCain cited Obama's response to a 2003 questionnaire about his policy
toward Cuba, in which the Illinois senator wrote: "I believe that
normalization of relations with Cuba would help the oppressed and
poverty-stricken Cuban people while setting the stage for a more
democratic government once Castro inevitably leaves the scene."
Obama has said he would like to ease stringent U.S. travel restrictions
toward Cuba, granting Cuban-Americans unrestricted rights to visit
family and send remittances to the island.
During the February 21 Democratic presidential debate at the Univsersity
of Texas in Austin, Obama said "it is important for the United States
not just to talk to its friends but also to talk to its enemies. In
fact, that's where diplomacy makes the biggest difference."
He added that he would meet with Raul Castro "without preconditions,"
but acknowledged that there must be a "preparation." The U.S. must
ensure that Cuba has "an agenda" in place that addresses "human rights,
releasing of political prisoners" and "opening up the press," he said.
McCain said Tuesday that his administration will oppose softening the
economic embargo unless the Cuban government meets certain conditions.
"My administration will press the Cuban regime to release all political
prisoners unconditionally, to legalize all political parties, labor
unions and free media, and to schedule internationally monitored
elections," he said.
"The embargo must stay in place until these basic elements of democratic
society are met," he continued.
During a question and answer period following McCain's speech, an
audience member compared Obama to Castro. McCain responded by
criticizing Obama for his willingness to negotiate with leaders like
Castro and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"What are they going to talk about? The destruction of Israel?" McCain
said of a possible Obama-Ahmadinejad meeting.
In response to McCain's criticism of Obama, the Democratic National
Committee released a statement accusing McCain of flip-flopping on his
position toward Cuba.
"Hearing that John McCain was for engaging Cuba before he was against
it, is yet another troubling example of McCain switching his position on
key issues to advance his political agenda," DNC communications director
Karen Finney said in a statement. "The American people have already
made it clear that they do not want four more years of leaders who will
say one thing on the campaign trail and do another once they get into
office."
Fox News' Mosheh Oinounou and the Associated Press contributed to this
report.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/20/mccain-criticizes-obama-for-cuba-policy/
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