Russ Feingold: “the chairman's amendment on Cuba is a very serious one. Cuba is a country of significance to the United States and our…”

“the chairman's amendment on Cuba is a very serious one. Cuba is a country of significance to the United States and our policy toward it should be very carefully considered, measured, and open to a wide range of dynamics which necessarily come up between virtual neighbors. I have been one, like the chairman, who has supported an aggressive policy toward Cuba which will promote democracy and respect human rights. Like the chairman, I believe that was, in large part, why we fought the cold war. It was part of the effort. But I advocate a different approach. To my mind, further isolating Cuba is just not an effective approach. In a world where we are trying to establish multifaceted, global post-cold-war relationships, it makes little sense to ignore that your neighbor exists, or to try to build regional coalitions around a major island, as if there is a black hole in the Caribbean. We cannot do much to push democracy and respect for human rights if we will not even talk to the Cubans. Indeed, we only hurt ourselves if we pretend that a country--particularly if it is objectionable or threatening--does not exist. That is what I am afraid is the direction of this amendment. I also think that pushing our friends and allies to also impose embargoes on Cuba is a waste of diplomatic chits. It is a waste of time.…”