My Facebook page erupted with teary rants and vile racist comments being hurled at President Obama such as Traitor and Communist over his announcement on changes to Cuba policy. I wasn't upset as I have seen these irrational and racist comments before. What struck me is that in previous posts these very same individuals talk about freedom and democracy to justify their own participation in crushing democracy and freedom in this country and throughout the world. All of those folks polluting my Facebook page are die hard right wing Republicans and their support of voter suppression in this country and telling the American people what they can and can not do is ironic.
Sara Stephens, Director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, notes in Huffington Post a Story from the Tampa Bay Times that details stances of the freedom loving, anti-communist stalwarts of morality in Florida, Senator Marco Rubio and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
Senator Marco Rubio and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen are two of the most outspoken Cuba travel "hall monitors" in Congress. They argue for a total ban on travel, as Senator Rubio likes to say "because it provides money to a cruel, repressive, and murderous regime." Or, as Rep. Ros-Lehtinen puts it, the restrictions on travel to Cuba are "commonsense measures meant to prevent U.S. dollars from supporting a murderous regime that opposes U.S. security interests at every turn and which ruthlessly suppresses the most basic liberties of speech, assembly and belief."
That's pretty clear. At least it seemed that way until the Tampa Bay Times dropped this bombshell a few months back:
"Top aides to Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, two of the most vehement anti-Communist voices in Washington, took an all-expenses paid trip to China this month courtesy of the Chinese government."
This was not some misunderstanding. In fact, both offices confirmed the story was true. Just as the paper reported, Arthur Estopinan, chief of staff to Ros-Lehtinen, and Sally Canfield, who served as deputy chief of staff to Senator Rubio until she left his employ on December 5th, were part of a congressional staff trip facilitated by the U.S.-Asia Institute. An Institute source told the Tampa Bay Times, the trips were "paid for by the Chinese government."
As this story broke, the world was paying closer and closer attention to the tense political situation in Hong Kong, as demonstrators massed in the streets for self-determination and the right to choose their government. At that very moment, Senator Rubio and Rep. Ros-Lehtinen could have responded to the questions we posed to them at the time.
Why, specifically, do they think travel to Cuba is different from travel to China? Why do they fiercely criticize Americans who go to Cuba, because it puts money into the pockets of what they call 'the Castro regime,' while also permitting their staffs to accept travel junkets to China paid out of the pockets of China's government?
They never answered.