Just 90 miles from the Florida coast, Cuba and Castro have been thorns in the side of American presidents since 1959 (starting with Dwight Eisenhower and all nine presidents since). After coming to power, Castro nationalized all American property on the island, and relations between the United States and Cuba have been downhill from there. In 1960, the United States gave weak support to a failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. In 1962 Castro allowed the Soviet Union to install nuclear missiles on the island. The resulting Cuban Missile Crisis led the world to the brink of nuclear war.
The U.S. has had an almost full embargo on Cuba since 1961. Travel and trade between the U.S. and Cuba is heavily restricted. Supporters of the policy say it is the best way to squeeze Castro out of power. Critics say it is time to try something new since Castro uses American hostility as a way to rally support for his government.
President Bush has tried "more of the same" for the past eight years. He tightened limits which now allow Cuban-Americans to travel home only once every three years and to send no more than $100 a month to family in Cuba.
So would a new Clinton/McCain/Obama/Romney Administration do anything different?
Clinton on Cuba
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) wants a peaceful transition to freedom and democracy in Cuba. She is opposed to lifting the embargo. And when Senator Barack Obama suggested presidents should be open to meeting with leaders of states like Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, Clinton disagreed with that approach.
McCain on Cuba
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) would also maintain the embargo. He views Cuba as a national security threat, and even said he "will not passively await the long-overdue demise of the Castro dictatorship," according to this New York Times blog post. McCain predicts, "Cuba is destined to become an important ally in advancing democracy in our hemisphere."
Obama on Cuba
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has called for "unrestricted rights" on Cuban-American travel and money sent by family member to the island. He also expressed a willingness to meet with Fidel Castro. He said, "You know, strong countries and strong presidents speak with their adversaries. I always think back to JFK's saying that we should never negotiate out of fear, but we shouldn't fear to negotiate."
Romney on Cuba
Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) has said, "These Castro brothers are cowards, and we have to recognize they are cowards. And for that reason, the course for America is to continue our isolation of Cuba." He has fully endorsed President Bush's approach to Cuba.
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