SENATOR BLOCKS DIPLOMAT NOMINEE TO FORCE CUBA MOVE - (BLACKMAILING THE SENATE TO BENEFIT A TYRANT)

The Miami Herald ^ | May. 28, 2003 | TIM JOHNSON

[Luis Gonzalez]

WASHINGTON - The White House nominee to become the senior U.S. diplomat to Latin America has hit a bump on the road to Senate approval.

A Democratic senator, Max Baucus of Montana, has put a ''hold'' on the nomination of Roger F. Noriega to serve as assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere.

A Baucus spokeswoman said the legislative move blocking further action has nothing to do with Noriega's qualifications. Rather, Baucus is using the ''hold'' on Noriega to pressure Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to allow an up-or-down vote on the full Senate floor for his proposal to relax U.S. restrictions on travel to Cuba.

Observers said the tactic might delay a Senate vote on Noriega's nomination into June but probably not imperil it.

Nonetheless, the Baucus move marked the kind of political maneuvering that has left the key State Department post on Latin America without a

Senate-approved nominee for more than four years. Since late 1998, the post has been filled on an interim or appointed basis.

Noriega, the current U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, sailed quietly through a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee early this month. Supporters expected him to get a floor vote of approval in the Senate by the end of May.

But now that won't happen. The thorny issue of sanctions on Cuba has come in the way.

On April 30, Baucus and a Republican senator, Michael Enzi of Wyoming, jointly helped introduce a bill to lift restrictions that bar most U.S. citizens from traveling to Cuba.

While the bill now has 16 co-sponsors, the White House has made clear it has no intention of relaxing any aspect of the four-decade-old trade embargo against the regime of Fidel Castro, who is the longest ruling communist leader in the world.

The issue of sanctions on Cuba has become a peculiar domestic policy lodestone. President Bush, eager to win re-election in 2004, seeks support in the linchpin state of Florida with a hard line toward Castro. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, bipartisan groups of legislators in both chambers say they have the votes to weaken the embargo but have been thwarted by the White House in getting such legislation passed and enacted.

A spokeswoman for Baucus, Laura Hayes, said the senator has no intention of harming Noriega's chances of approval.

''The hold has nothing to do with Noriega,'' Hayes said. ``If Sen. Frist agrees to a vote on Monday [on the Cuba travel bill], then the hold is all gone.''

[Luis Gonzalez]

Castro's payroll remittances to our Senate must be comparable to Saddam's Parliamentary entries.

[hchutch]

Wouldn't be surprised.

You've got Freepmail.

[Stingray51]

One more reason to start using the recess appointment power more aggressively.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Fair enuff. Now, maybe we can get the good Senator to explain why he is against such an up or down vote for Estrada...

[Luis Gonzalez]

Th Democrats are holding up the appointment of damned near every single Hispanic nominated by Bush to any position in government.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"President Bush, eager to win re-election in 2004, seeks support in the linchpin state of Florida with a hard line toward Castro."

Hey look!

It's that old Elian Gonzalez ploy again!

It seems that only Cubans stand in opposition to normalizing relations with Fidel.

BTW...is it me, or is that a funny line to be found in a Florida newspaper?

[Teacher317]

The Dems sure aren't shy about earning the "obstructionist" label. They are doing it to such a degree that the history books will make note of it.

[NeoCaveman]

''The hold has nothing to do with Noriega,'' Hayes said. ``If Sen. Frist agrees to a vote on Monday [on the Cuba travel bill], then the hold is all gone.''

Let the Left have it's vote. It's about time Bush vetoed something. This Friends of Castro bill should be zotted by the veto pen

[OldFriend]

We have got to get more active in congressional and senatorial campaigns. We MUST get these demonrats thrown out and give the President a BIG majority.

[Grampa Dave]

Bingo re, your comments about the blood money flow from Castro to senators and congressits!

When I read this, that was the first thing that popped into my mind.

I bet those congressits who flew to Cuba last year to sing happy Birthday to Fidel are on the take.

They may not be getting blood money from Fidel, they are probably getting money from some dark side corporations eager to do business in Cuba.

[irish guard]

As independent and conservative as Montana is, I cannot understand how Baucus keeps getting reelected. What am I missing?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"They may not be getting blood money from Fidel, they are probably getting money from some dark side corporations eager to do business in Cuba."

You mean like this one?

[Grampa Dave]

I can neither confirm nor deny that company is probably funding every pro Castro senator/congressit.

However, you are probably on the right blood money trail.

[Grampa Dave]

He brings home the Pork like his role models, Dirty Byrd and the Da$$hole.

There are a lot of so called independents who are really addicted to our tax $'s arriving on the Pork Express.

They talk a good game and then keep voting for the Pork Futures that Baucus, Dirty Byrd and the Da$$hole send back to their home states after they are reelected.

[OldFriend]

Which is why the dems are screaming big time about the tax cuts.........they think it's THEIR money.

Wouldn't it be nice if the RNC was more pro active in their education of the american public? There are all kinds of issues that need to be brought to the attention of the average voter.......

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Tacis]

Well, I'm sure Texas will support the move to open up relations with Cuba. Texas wants to learn to make it's criminal justice system as effective as Cuba's. Criminals in Texas often wait up to 20 years to exhaust death sentence appeals.

It is good to see that even the democrat leftists see the advantages of the Cuban system where someone guilty of a capital crime (or even something like taking a boat ride) can be fully executed withing three days of his trial. That is efficient!! And, the Cubans can dispatch black folks with absolute confidence that no neocommie in the world will mutter a protest, Baucus, included.

Yes, we need to learn from the wise Cubans how to make our criminal justice system work as theirs does, especially the part about no protests from ANY outsider. Why would any American public official want to do anything that would make Fidelito's life any easier? There are drugs and terrorists coming into the US from Cuba and Cuba is earning bucks to help.

[Carolinamom]

I was not aware that Baucus is in charge of U.S. foreign policy. Some Senators are getting a bit large for their britches IMO.

[TLBSHOW]

There is something about commies and certain senators that need looking into.