Banging the Embargo Drums

The public relations campaign towards easing the Cuban embargo continues to build up.

We've had the Lugar report, the Congressional Black Caucus trip to Cuba and their adorational attitude towards Fidel Castro, and an endless number of polls.

Here's the latest:

Americans Steady in Backing Friendlier U.S.-Cuba Relations

Overall, Gallup Polls regarding U.S. relations with Cuba find Americans generally accepting of the U.S. taking a friendlier stance toward the island nation, as has been true over the past decade. However, Americans do distinguish between different specific policies toward Cuba. The fact that a solid majority support re-establishing U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba -- and have consistently done so for the past decade -- suggests that Obama's first step in this direction was likely well-received by the American public. Moves toward making it easier for all Americans to travel to Cuba will likely find majority support among the American public as well. Ending the trade embargo will be a tougher sell and likely a partisan battle.

And let's not forget emotional pleas from the Kennedys: Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of Robert Kennedy, came out today with My Father's Stand on Cuba Travel

My father's principal argument for lifting the ban was simply that restricting Americans' right to travel went against the freedoms that he had sworn to protect as attorney general. Lifting the ban, he argued, would be "more consistent with our views as a free society and would contrast with such things as the Berlin Wall and Communist controls on such travel."

Here's my prediction: the Obama administration will continue to water down the embargo as to rendering it meaningless by year's end.