The Wall Street Journal is reporting great news:
President Barack Obama plans to lift a longstanding U.S. ban on family travel and remittances to Cuba, a senior administration official said Friday, in what could be an opening gesture toward more openness with the Castro regime...
The president does not intend to call for lifting of the trade embargo against Cuba, which would require congressional action, nor is any specific diplomatic outreach contemplated, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
But advocates for greater openness with Cuba said the move was significant in and of itself, signaling a willingness of the Obama administration to take a fresh look at Cuba policy early in his presidency.
It's not clear when he will lift the ban buit the article speculates the President may do it ahead of this month's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.
It's baffling why we have waited this long for the ban to be lifted. Obviously, if the Cuban-American electorate was not as powerful in Florida as it is, the ban would have been gone years ago. With the potential of easing tensions with a Communist regime just 90 miles from our shores, why wouldn't we take steps to show the Cuban people the benefits of our way of life?
Of course, general travel for all Americans has to be approved by Congress and Senator Lugar has said he will introduce a bill to do just that. He has bipartisan support for the bill. He has asked the President to appoint a special envoy to start talks with the Cuban government.
Anyway, I can't wait.
Update [2009-4-3 18:42:48 by John Campanelli]: U.S. Congress delegation in Cuba to "learn and talk":
Representative Barbara Lee said the group of seven Democrats came with no messages from President Barack Obama or proposals for the Cubans but simply to "see what the possibilities are."
"We're here to learn and talk and to see if there are any issues we need to communicate back to our government," she told reporters...
The five-day visit comes as the U.S. House and Senate prepare to consider bills that would eliminate a ban on Americans traveling to Cuba that is part of a trade embargo imposed on the island by the United States since 1962.