VP Nominee Paul Ryan Flip Flops on Cuba Policy – Changes His Position for Political Gain

Anyone Wonder Why Mitt Romney Picked This Guy? - Now We Know

If one word had to be chosen to describe U. S. policy on Cuba since Castro took over the in the late 1950’s it would be DISASTER.  The U. S. decided that a trade and relationship embargo would so damage Cuba that it would be forced to get rid of the Castro and adopt a more democratic, open society.  The policy has been in effect for over 50 years.  It has not worked.

Now normal people would think that it would not taken even 10 or 20 years to determine a policy has failed.  But politicians are not normal people and so politics has forced continuation of the failed policy.  But occasionally politicians do object.  Such was the case of a young Wisconsin Representative named Paul Ryan.

Mr. Ryan, now Mitt Romney’s 42-year-old vice-presidential running mate, supported ending the trade embargo with Cuba, an unpopular sentiment among many Republicans and Cuban exiles in this part of Florida, one of the most crucial swing states in the general election.

“If we think engagement works well with China, well, it ought to work well with Cuba,”Mr. Ryan had said a decade ago in an interview with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The embargo doesn’t work. It is a failed policy,” he said, adding that while many Cuban-Americans were passionate in their support of the embargo, “I just don’t agree with them and never have.”

Wow, pretty brave and powerful stuff.  No wonder he caught Mr. Romney’s eye and was chosen for the Republican VP slot.  Oh, wait a minute, not so fast.

Mr. Ryan made the case that his understanding of Cuba had evolved under long tutelage from Republican House members from South Florida, including Mr. Diaz-Balart and his younger brother Mario, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, now the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman, who have also endorsed him.

In a separate local television interview, Mr. Ryan also explained how he had come to change his mind and since 2007 has supported the embargo.

So with maybe what was the only rational policy position Mr. Ryan ever had, political pressure caused him to flip flop.  The only question remaining, does this methodology of flip flopping for political gain copying Mr. Romney’s, or is it Mr. Romney copying Mr. Ryan.  Tough question, about as tough a question as to whether or not there is anything this ticket will not say or do to gain office.