• Submitted by: admin
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• 10 / 11 / 2008

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President Bush came to Miami on Friday to meet with Cuban-American leaders and raise money for GOP congressional candidates across the country.

Noticeably absent: Miami's three Cuban-American congressional members, all Republicans waging spirited reelection races with Democratic challengers who are trying to tie the incumbents to the Bush administration.

Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen all cited prior commitments. For the Diaz-Balarts, that included a Miami fundraiser hosted by House Republican John Boehner of Ohio.

Bush, in what could be his last visit to Miami as president, held the line on the Cuban embargo and remittances to the island while visiting with the Cuban-American leaders.

Democrats have suggested that Bush's 2004 decision to further restrict travel and remittances to Cuba angered once-diehard Republican Cuban-American voters enough to put the three congressional seats into play.

Polls show former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez and former Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chairman Joe Garcia within striking distance of the Diaz-Balart brothers, despite the Republicans' solid lead among Cuban-American voters in their districts.


(miamiherald.com)