Mario Diaz-Balart and the Republicans have been caught in another moment of hypocrisy. Over the past few days they have been throwing out charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel, an important Chair of a committee who can bring financial assistance to Miami, and Joe Garcia calling them “left-wing extremists” among other name-calling. As it is, Rep. Rangel served this country heroically in the military and was honored for it and Joe Garcia has been an consistent supporter for Democracy in Cuba and is a former Chair of CANF.
Well now it turns out Mario Diaz-Balart has accepted over $80,000 in campaign contributions from people who do business with Cuba and have advocated against the embargo. That’s right, he didn’t just meet with lobbyists opposed to the embargo, he actually took their money and has been using it to get elected.
Under fire for inviting an anti-embargo congressman to a campaign fundraiser, Democrat Joe Garcia sought to turn the tables Friday, assailing his Republican rival for accepting campaign contributions from companies with ties to the Cuban government.
Garcia said he disagrees with Rangel’s stance on Cuba, but agrees with him on issues including healthcare, education and reducing taxes on the middle class.
Leaders in South Florida’s Venezuelan community have called on Garcia to drop Rangel, but the president of Garcia’s former employer, the Cuban American National Foundation, defended Garcia’s decision.
Francisco “Pepe” Hernández said he and former CANF leader Jorge Mas Canosa were attacked for meeting with former Sen. Claude Pepper, who at the time was considered liberal.
“Jorge Mas Canosa always said we have to have powerful friends and weak enemies,” said Hernández, noting that he and Mas Canosa also met with Rangel several times.
Garcia accused his opponent — along with his brother, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen — of accepting campaign contributions from companies that are interested in doing business with Cuba or are already doing business with the Cuban government, including Ryder Systems, whose CEO has advocated lifting of the embargo, and Wal-Mart, whose Canadian subsidiary, Wal-Mart Canada, has sold Cuban-made pajamas at its Canadian stores.
Actually it doesn’t end there. The Diaz-Balart campaign managed to shoot out this lame response.
“The contributions he cites are in no way related to our stance on Cuba policy because our position on Cuba policy is diametrically opposed to companies that seek to do business with Cuba.”
Sounds like the rhetoric of a one-issue candidate who apparently can’t even do things right on that issue to me.
Joe Garcia actually has a plan on Cuba. He opposed the Bush/Diaz-Balart restrictions on travel and family remittances. In Congress he will work to get them repealed, because he believes democracy in Cuba starts by returning power to make change back to the ordinary citizens of the country.
A change on foreign policy is one reason Joe Garcia was endorsed by Blue America today.
Help keep the momentum going.