Notably, doesn't Obama favor loosening the embargo?  I don't believe Hillary does, but I can't say that with 100% confidence.

Oh yeah!

Hillary has been consistent on Cuba. She has always been in favor of maintaining the embargo. Last year she said the US policy toward Cuba would not change until Fidel made changes

I believe that this is not the time or place to consider wholesale or broad changes to our Cuba policy, including the embargo.

in a word....yes.
after all, china and  saudi arabia have lousy human rights records and we give them zillions of us dollars each year (and they don't even produce good music)lol

this seems like a no brainer to this progressive, but some democrats (hrc included) need to pander to the right wing cuban american voting block in fla.

Cuba has terrible human rights for the media and activists, among the worst in the world.

So does China - much worse than Cuba in many ways - and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't use, wear or eat something that was made there. Think of all the Saudi oil we guzzle, pumped from a country where women are put to death for witchcraft and adultry

The Cuba embargo is one of the dumbest foreign policies in our history. It has more to do with the ton of Cuban exiles concentrated in a swing state and the fact that the revolution was largely directed against US holdings. The Viet Cong killed more Americans than Castro ever did, but they at least didn't mess with our sugar plantations.

I don't mean to downplay the very real problems with human rights and democracy in Cuba. It's just our human rights principles seems to be curiously focused on only a handful of nations.

If Raul Castro started to allow foreign companies to open sweatshops, we would start hearing a lot less about democracy in Cuba. When't the last time Bush ever talked about jailed labor activists in China or Vietnam?

Now I know what this site is about. Cuba was a genuine people's revolution. Batista and the American supported oligarchy killed the poor in Cuba. When Castro and others took over it was by and with the will of a large majority of the people that suffered under one of the most unequal societies on earth. It is one of the bright moments in the dark 20th century. Sure Castro has ruled too long and there have been awful human rights violations, that is a fact and unfortunate, but nothing next to the deep human rights violations that free market oligarchic capitalism brought and will bring when "free trade flows". Read up on Cuba. It has a relatively good health system and one of the highest literacy rates for a poor country in the world and one of the reasons it lives in poverty is because of this vicious embargo.

How come Barak Obama's supporters in Houston fly a Cuban flag with a picture of Communist Che Guevara imposed on it?  See http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/webl og/?entry=28915&only&rss.

Dont look for any embargoes to be lifted. Yes, theyre there because of Fidel, but his brother isnt any better. It's not like the embargo is a personal thing against Fidel and now we'll magically lift it. It's based on Cuba's policies, and they wont change for the better with Raul in charge.

Obama's statement on Castro's resignation:

"Today should mark the end of a dark era in Cuba's history. Fidel Castro's stepping down is an essential first step, but it is sadly insufficient in bringing freedom to Cuba.

"Cuba's future should be determined by the Cuban people and not by an anti-democratic successor regime. The prompt release of all prisoners of conscience wrongly jailed for standing up for the basic freedoms too long denied to the Cuban people would mark an important break with the past. It's time for these heroes to be released.

"If the Cuban leadership begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin taking steps to normalize relations and to ease the embargo of the last five decades. The freedom of the Cuban people is a cause that should bring the Americans together."

i want my cuban cigars pronto

Today should mark the end of a dark era in Cuba's history

I'm not a Castro apologist, but did any major politician talk that way when Deng Xioping died? When a member of the Saudi royal family dies, does the president say good riddance or send a rep (or himself) to the funeral. When Jiang Zemin retired, did anyone issue statements about a "dark period" of China's history.  

What about when former Indonesian strongman Suharto died last month:

President Bush offered his "condolences" on Sunday on the death of Suharto, a Cold War ally whose 32 years of brutal rule saw up to a million political opponents killed.

Cubans are aware of the double standard that goes on. Obama does have the most advanced position on Cuba however, so hopefully we will see a thaw in this silliness.

I never thought there should be an embargo for this long. We deal with worse dictators.

Having said that, nothing to rejoice here.His brother is taking over. But he is 76, so maybe his brother won't last long either. I don't think there is any change in real power over there. I wonder who is next in line after the Castro brothers?

And by gum, their ballplayers should have to enter the draft like every other one.

They do not believe the Cuban Revvolution can outlast the Castro brothers, and they are planning a massive campaign to recapture Cuba, and regain their old properties. If McStain or any GOPuke is in the WhiteHouse, they'll expect (and get) USer military support. Cuban-Americans, in my experience (I new a BUNCH of 'em in Louisiana in the '80s), are all too eager to drop the pretense of the hyphen and revert to being Cubans (as long as THEY are running things)...