Just As I Thought

Puff piece

A little while back, I posted something about “Cuban” cigars being sold at a Republican fundraiser or some such event, pointing out the hypocrisy of the right wing lawmakers. It engendered a furious back-and-forth from at least one commenter who alternately punched holes in the “Cuban” claim, quite rightly, and then headed off into ridiculous attacks.
Well, I hesitantly put my toe back in the water just for the sake of a good guffaw (and the ever-enjoyable pointing out of hypocrites) with this article from Time magazine:

image Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. And sometimes, according to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a cigar is an economic prop to a brutal totalitarian regime. Arguing against loosening sanctions against Cuba last year, DeLay warned that Fidel Castro “will take the money. Every dime that finds its way into Cuba first finds its way into Fidel Castro’s blood-thirsty hands…. American consumers will get their fine cigars and their cheap sugar, but at the cost of our national honor.”

DeLay has long been one of Congress’ most vocal critics of what he calls Castro’s “thugocracy,” which is why some sharp-eyed TIME readers were surprised last week to see a photo of the Majority Leader smoking one of Cuba’s best—a Hoyo de Monterrey double corona, which generally costs about $25 when purchased overseas and is not available in this country. The cigar’s label clearly states that it was made in “Habana.” The photo was taken in Jerusalem on July 28, 2003, during a meeting between DeLay and the Republican Jewish Coalition at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

… DeLay’s smoke may have run afoul of his principles, but it did not violate U.S. regulations at the time. However, it would now. Last September, the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control tightened its prohibitions against U.S. citizens importing or consuming Cuban cigars. Even Americans licensed to bring back up to $100 worth of Cuban goods are no longer allowed to include tobacco products in what they carry. The regulation also noted that Americans are barred not only from purchasing Cuban goods in foreign countries, but also from consuming them in those countries.

Asked about the Majority Leader’s consumption of a Cuban cigar, his spokesman Dan Allen replied there has been “no change in our Cuban policy.”

1 comment

  • With a little work on Photoshop you could have some real fun with that picture.

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