Obama, Cigars, Cuba, Congress

Obama Wagers on More Cigars to Win Over Congress on Cuba Embargo - Bloomberg: "President Barack Obama billed opening Cuba as a chance for trade to promote political change, and he’s sending Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on a trade mission there soon. He’s also wagering that more trade will change the political dynamic in the U.S. Congress. Winning over members of Congress is key, since they’re the only ones who can lift the five-decade-old economic embargo on Cuba or end the broad travel ban. “I believe greater engagement will help more and more Americans understand the economic potential of Cuba and the incredible entrepreneurial capacity of their people,” Pritzker said in an e-mail. “We will do all we can under these actions to unleash that potential.”The approach isn’t unprecedented for the U.S. -- it’s the basis of U.S.-China relations...."

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