Freedom to Travel? More on the Audacity and Hypocrisy of Debbie Wasserman Schultz

I had to laugh reading the news that Florida insurance regulators are zapping a major insurance firm because of the travel preferences of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-20).

Schultz apparently applied for an 'increased amount' of life insurance because she planned to travel internationally. I guess one needs more money if one dies in Tel Aviv rather than Tallahassee.

In any case, a representative of American General Life Insurance, a subsidiary of AIG, called about her travel plans and was told by Wasserman Schultz's husband that she planned to visit Israel.

The mere question of where Wasserman Schultz planned to go allegedly violates Florida's "Freedom to Travel" statute.

Last Wednesday, Wasserman Schultz stated "Our legal travel choices should not adversely impact our ability to purchase life insurance."

Legal travel choices? Who in America says "legal travel choices"??

This sounds like what an apparatchik from the Brezhnev-era Soviet Union might have said. And the notion of a "freedom to travel" statute in Florida certainly sounds at oddes with the sound of "legal travel".

Well -- it is no surprise that Debbie Wasserman Schultz offered such a qualification of her comment and her own pretty silly claim that has tried to throw AIG out of the State of Florida.

She has worked with three of the most right-wing Republicans in the State of Florida -- Ilieana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25), and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL-21) -- to maintain the US embargo against Cuba and to tighten the noose around not only Cuban-American families hoping to see loved ones in Cuba -- but on ALL Americans.

Wasserman Schultz, despite serving as a National Co-Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Red-to-Blue Program has refused to campaign against these three Republicans, who are moderates in no one's books and have successfully made Cuba the only place in the entire world where the Cold War actually got colder in the last decade.

The freedom of Americans to travel has long been considered a human right by nearly every member of Congress. When I worked in the Senate, Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and others spoke of the right of Americans to travel as a protected human right.

There are court cases that challenge the notion that free travel is a Constitutionally-protected right, but nonetheless -- it is a "fringe view" that believes that the federal government of the United States of America has the legal right to tell its citizens where they can and cannot go.

Wasserman Schultz has the audacity to challenge AIG because she feels that her "freedom to travel" has been inhibited by an insurance firm that made a phone call?!

She is complicit in one of the most significant cabals preempting the travel of Americans today and she has no moral authority or legitimacy complaining in her own case that her travel latitude has been restricted when she is directly responsible for inhibiting the freedoms of so many other American citizens.

I recommend to Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to go pay a call on Republican House Member Jeff Flake (R-AZ-06) who will remind her that it is communist governments that restrict the travel of their freedom-challenged citizens. The U.S. government should not be party to such practices, he will tell her -- as will more than a hundred of her Democratic colleagues, with whom she is politicaly out of line.

Regarding this AIG claim, Wasserman Schultz should feel pretty ashamed that she can twist the state to do her bidding while she is forcing Cuban-American families to choose whether they attend a mother's funeral, or a father's -- because the legal constraints on travel that Wasserman Schultz helped to construct and supports won't allow these families to go to both.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[Boris]

I am not sure what anything here has to do with the Democratic presidential race. Are we seeing Hilary and Obama conspiracies in every statement? Wasserman is not being attacked because of her position on Hilary or Obama, but because she is stupid. It is obvious that the Rove mode is being used in this candidate race. Look at the hatred spewed by one Hilary fan over a subject that has NOTHING to do with her.

Here is why I will not support Hilary: She has a brother married into an exile Cuban family and she fully supports the moronic policies of W in this regard. She is NOT progressive on the Cuba situation and she will do nothing to frighten the pro Mafia wing of the Cuban people.

[TruEngineHearing]

The tone of this article is right out of the book - using allusions to commie-like ideas, playing with words like "cabal", and a general tone that pulls in the usual verbal sophistries to let everyone know that we're talking about a... well, about a..., well, you know, a...

This writer is a dog in the age-old pack.

[jaycasey]

One of the most depressing aspects of American politics in the last four decades has been the degree of influence the Florida Cuban right wing has had on our national elections and foreign policy. A relatively small but rich group of refugees have controlled our country's policy toward Cuba, and not to the benefit of our country. Politicians like Wasserman are scared to death to confront the Cuban-American Republican block. To appease the Cuban-Americans our Congress has taken away all American's rights to travel to Cuba. As an American I resent this deeply - not because I feel I must see Cuba but because as an American I do not feel my government has the right to tell me where in the world I can travel or what I can see.

American foreign policy should be in the best interest of Americans and should align with our principles of freedom of the individual. I feel sorry for Cubans and I want them to be free. But taking away fundamental rights of Americans doesn't help anyone.

[Oldchef]

Sounds like Wasserman Schultz is a true Clinton supporter in her admiration and support for Republican right wingers. Another refugee from the Goldwater Republicans?

[Reiter]

The whole embargo against Cuba has never worked. It serves no purpose. We do plenty of business with China who are no saints when it comes to human rights and the environment. It is just another mistake in American politics that no one will admit too.

[paixa3]

Ms. Wasserman Schultz seems like another rather daft airhead who does NOT belong in our government, IN ANY POSITION.

[nice2blucky]

It doesn't appear, Mr. Clemons, that you disagree with Miss Wasserman-Schultz, as much as you are taking the opportunity to call her on her hypocrisy.

Politicians don't seem to really have opinions. They have merely taken sides. In this case, Miss Wasserman-Schultz was personally effected by circumstances, and being aware of the law, has sought to do something about it. Good for her.

Except it exposes her as simple-minded, in denial, or hypocritical.

But isn't that just the way it is these days -- dumb, smart people. Intelligence is measured by success -- usually financial -- and principles, character, and logical consistency are secondary or irrelevant.

[RichLiberal]

Absolutely agree w posters below. This is an Obama hit job on Debbie Wasserman Schultz who is a Hillary Clinton super-delegate.

It is clear that it is time to take the gloves off. Any super-delegate who represents a district that voted for Hillary Clinton should be pressured to vote for Hillary or face challenges to their seat. This is exactly the way the Obama campaign thru Jesse Jackson Jr has strong-armed black Super-Delegates committed to Hillary and gotten to switch to Obama.

Two can play that game. It is time to take back this illegitimate attempt of Ted Kennedy and his cohorts from stealing the nomination from Hillary.

The whole Obama campaign is a Kennedy inspired phenomenon that was test-run in Massachusetts w Deval Patrick. Obama is a product of the Chicago Daley political machine w deep Kennedy influence. The Obama campaign team ran the Deval Patrick campaign where he came out of nowhere to win in Kennedy's Massachusetts back yard. Patrick has been a total dud as governor whose big revenue plan was to create 3 casinos in Mass. Fortunately the state legislature blocked this fiasco and now Patrick is waiting for Obama to be President so he can go to Washington.

Kennedy has played a cynical race baiting campaign against the Clintons accentuated by his insinuation that his support for Obama was because of Hillary's MLK/LBJ/JFK comments after the NH primary. The big lie is that this had anything to do with Kennedy's support of Obama. Kennedy has been behind Obama since the beginning and is the only reason Obama is still afloat.

Hillary supporters can start contacting super-delegates in districts that voted for Hillary in the primaries. Don't know who the supers are? Can go here and make your lists:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/delegates/candidates/barack-obama/

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/delegates/candidates/hillary-clinton/

Uncommitted delegates can be found under each state list.

Need more evidence of Kennedy involvement w Obama? Try this:


http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2008/01/kennedy-obama-and-rezko-or-slimey-and.html

[pkohan]

I don't care who she's repping as a super-delegate. But 1) she claims to have a freedom to travel wherever she chooses while restricting the travel of other U.S. citizens, and 2) if you are chairing "Red to Blue," then you support the BLUE candidates.

Wasserman Schulz has gotten herself into this pickle with her dissembling and lack of Democratic Party team spirit.

[uberlefty]

Can you say paranoid? You need to change your meds if you think this has anything to do with Obama and Kennedy. What it does show is another Hillary supporting appeaser. She would rather buddy up to some terrorist loving Cubanos who have fantasies about their victorious return to Havana so they can reclaim the country for United Fruit and the Jersey Mafia than allow Americans the right to travel where they please. Part of the reason that these types of democrats , like her Michigander buddy John Dingell, support Hillary is she is as right wing as they are. They have all grown far to accustomed to the largess provided by the lobbyists and the PACs. I say send them all home and lets get some REAL Democrats in government. You can link to all the drivel you want but you cant defend a democrat who wont campaign against Republicans. Unless of course you are a Republican. By the way I love your evidence of Kennedys involvement with Obama. As if thats some sort of news flash. Have you been in a coma? Oh right the meds. Sorry.

[SisterJ]

"[...] so they can reclaim the country for United Fruit and the Jersey Mafia [...]"

Ouch.

[ChiGuy]

"Obama is a product of the Chicago Daley political machine..."

**********­**********­**********­**********­**********­**********­**

That one turn of phrase flushed any measure of legitimacy in the rest of your post down the toilet.

Obama, while backed by Daley (as he held his nose and did his Democratic duty) against the moron Alan Keyes, was a thorn in the side of Rich Daley and his minions here in Chicago.

Obama has been an outspoken critic of some of the program cuts and eliminations by the Daley run city council.

There is no love lost between the two.

[Steve Clemons - Huffpost Blogger]

Rich Liberal -- with all due respect, I am completely independent of either campaign. This note is not at all an Obama hit job. It was written by simply on the basis of facts and Wasserman Schultz's stance towards Cuba. As of late, I have also become a critic of Obama's on Cuba policy. While he has the most progressive position regarding US-Cuba issues, his own views do not even go back to the status quo until 2004 in the Bush administration.

This is not a hit job -- it's empirically sound -- and Wasserman Schultz needs to change course.

Steve Clemons

[jsq]

So now there is a far left conspiracy to oust the Clintons from their well deserved throne in the White House and instead install a black man who when running for Senate in 2004 had $7 in his checking account?? Do you actually read your posts before you submit them?

[newshawk14]

I continue to be appalled that after the Elian Gonzales affair, that both parties have not distanced
themselves from the Cuban Americans that want to wage continuous war against Castro and
Cuba. When, if ever, are you people going to grow up, and let go of things that happened more
than 45 years ago.

[Tejano1]

it's moronic. these people won't let the issue die. they won't be happy until castro's body is burned in effigy and they get their "property" back. meanwhile, they hold the dems hostage w/ their ridiculous punishment of their own people back in cuba. stupid.

[massimo1]

Newsflash, they aren't getting their property back. Cuba has moved on. We need to also. And if those pitiable exiles don't like that, they they are welcome to go home and continue their struggle there instead of from their comfortable nests in Miami.

[HanFeiTzu]

Totally agree with you. There are two states with different loyalists that routinely impact United States foreign policy; Florida and New York simply because of the Cuban and Jewish votes. While neither group's influence has benefited us as a whole they have both impacted national elections and world opinion.

So I ask who is to blame? Those who advocate or those who allowed this to happen? Instead of asking those difficult (I believe easy) questions the media, for self-serving purposes, endlessly run the Rev. Wright footage which for this Caucasian is at least 90% true.

[jaycasey]

I disagree with your last point - those few snippits of Wrights loss of control are not right. However, I think you are right about US Foreign policy being hijacked by the pro_israel and anti-Castro Cuban lobbies. Sometimes I wonder where their loyalties lie. Would they sacrifice America for Israel's benefit? Or sacrifice America for a return to rule Cuba?? I have nothing against Israel but it seems like the US has been placed in great harm by its one-sided support of Israel. Yes, Israel is a democracy - but so is Taiwan. You don't see us risking our necks to protect Taiwan against China - so why Israel?

[newshawk14]

Your post intrigued me, particularly the reference to Rev. Wright. I would like to
recommend that everyone read a book, by William Blum called "Killing Hope",
that is about every military and CIA adventure since WWII. It will not make you
proud to be an American, and I strongly object to that. As you read the book
you will become aware of how many right wing Cubans, have been involved
in some of the more sordid CIA operations.

[Abie56]

That you have the legal right to travel is not questioned as a matter of law, but whether you can use your American passport to travel is at issue. The passport is not yours, but issued by the State Department and remains technically property of the government, and it can restrict how you use it. E.g., I assume Debbie Wasserman has an Israeli passport, and it would be perfectly legal for her to travel to Cuba with it. The government would not complain at all.

If true she refuses to campaign against the Republican Floridian congressmen, then at a minimum she should lose her leadership role in the DCCC. She's demonstrated she's no friend to her constituents, or the Democratic Party.

She needs to increase her insurance because of international travel???? Give me a break.

[Liberal2]

You typed, "...The passport is not yours, but issued by the State Department and remains technically property of the government..." Here, let me help you with logic....The first three words of the Constitution: "We, the people..." IOW, we are the government. We choose the people who occupy the lead positions and they choose the people who fill the other slots. There is no person in the US government appointed by someone higher than *THE PEOPLE* nor is there any element of divine right in the exercise of government functions.

Now, please inform me what clause or amendment allows a department of the US government to tell us where we are allowed to go and not allowed to go. I do realize, however, people in those government positions can exercise more power than an average individual, but "might" isn't a synonym for "right".

[jaycasey]

The State Dept does not own my right to travel. I have a right to a passport - it's not something the gov't can take away from me and remain a legitimate government.

At the same time, I don't think any Congressperson should be allowed dual citizenship. If Wasserman is carrying an Israeli passport she needs to resign from office. When Americans join the Foreign Service they are required to give up dual citizenships. So it should be with our representatives. They need to be 100% American.

[factcheck2]

Rep. Wasserman Schultz played the lead in demanding that the original Jan. 29th primary vote in florida be counted. Now she's being targetted by the Obama camp, which seems to have a pattern of harassing women who go on televsiion and either support Clinton outright or find themselves on the same side of the Florida/Michigan issue as her. Last week, Rep, Nita Lowey was barbecued after an appearance on one of the talk shows - described as incompetent and an embarrassment to the campaign. Why Obama endorsers like Janet Napolitanao and Claire Caskill don't do something tabout the surrogates when it comes to attacking women is a mystery. Of course, we all heard the candidate himself expose his white grandmother on national television as a racist. In this respet, Obama resembles George Bush, who has thrown a huge number of his female cabinet members and advisers under the bus over the last seven years. For more on the help Obama is receiving from Karl Rove in order to beat Clinton, I've posted an article at thecityedition.com. Here's a direct.

http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/2008Election.html

[pdxuser]

You fail to demonstrate Obama's campaign doing anything or being sexist. Show us what they actually did.

[FreedomsRoad]

Sounds like a blog ad for whatever that link is. Stir up trouble, provide a link, watch the click-thrus pour in.

If you something substantive Factcheck2 put it on huffpo.

[GoLeftGoDeep]

missing a few facts there factcheck2 ... Clinton and Barrack pledged not to campaign in Florida or Michigan ... Clinton, of course, campaigned in both states .. Obama agreed to split the votes evenly ... Clinton, of course, would have none of that ...

Wasserman Schutz should be stripped of any party status if she won't support Democratic candidates ...

[pkafin]

My memory is that Clinton did not campaign in Michigan. Perhaps you could back up the assertion that she "of course" did.?

[astheworldturns]

Clinton did not campaign in either Florida or Michigan. Obama did have a national add that did run in Florida. Get your facts straight.

[xargaw]

I have seen the Congresswoman on cable news programs in the recent past where she has been rather rude, (talking over others as well as the host) Her demands that Florida Dels be seated is not grounded in reasoning or fairness. She neglects to mention that all but one Democrat in the FL legislature approved breaking the rules prior to the election. Both candidates agreed with the DNC that the votes would not be counted. As a result, many people simply sat out the election trusting the rules that it wasn't valid and would not count. It became an election based largely on name recognition and little else since no campaigning was permitted. People in FL should be angry at their state leaders, not the candidates. Hillary is now unfairly jockeying because she is behind. It is most obvious, unbecoming and shows lack of integrity. Congresswoman Schultz, as well, should not be part of the DSCC if she is not willing to campaign for ALL Democrats against their GOP opponents. This is very "Lieberman" of her.

[uberlefty]

Good to see someone wearing Hillarys favorite shoes: Victim Red. I loved the pattern of attacking women. The Clinton campaign seems to have a pattern of using terms like " attacking women" that play on white fears of black men sullying white womanhood. As far as the barbecue, I saw Ms. Loweys appearance and it was not even on a par with high school debate club.. There are lots of capable women who could speak in support of Hillary but I fear fewer and fewer of them are willing to do so. As far as right wing connections are concerned I would direct you here.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html

You can read for yourself what a champion of reproductive rights your beloved Hillary is. Instead of making this about gender lets make it about the record. I believe if you really look at hers it will come up lacking.

[Abie56]

Talk about fringe.....I actually clicked on the link in your comment and was amazed. You're seing conspiracies where none exist.

Congressman Wasserman Schultz, last I checked, is a member of the Florida Democratic congressional delegation, and all of the reports I've read have claimed this delegation has unanimously opposed the revote in Florida. I was unaware she was pushing to have the original vote count and now understand why she's opposed to the revote, i.e., she believes the path to enfranchising the Floridians is to accept a primary all agree (but or Hillary) shouldn't count because it was held in violation of the rules. Sorry, but the rules aren't technical, but do serve a purpose.

There's no mystery why Janet Napolitano, Claire McCaskill (or Kathleen Sebelius) are not supporting Wasserman Schultz or Nita Lowey and having looked at the "city edition" I understand why you find mystery where none exists.

Hillary and her mob have denied the Democratic Party of real choices in this primary. Had she not run, then any number of truly qualified woman would and should have run for the Party's nomination, and we would have had a truly enriching debate about the future. As an Obama supporter, I would have truly pleased to have him compete with a woman of substance, and not the HillBill "you owe it to me" mob.

[LBKN]

Wasserman Schultz is a perfect example of a potential hazard... we were in the mind-set in "04... that any Dem was acceptable... we were in panic just to get more bodies into the legislatures.

Many are still in the same mindset when they profess that "either" presidential candidate is acceptable in the fall. That's quite a cop-out when there is a clearly superior candidate available.

[STParker]

You are perfectly right. Establishment Democrats play off the fear that if we hope for too much we'll be disappointed, but rank-and-file Dems are beginning to see that we will be dissappointed anyways.
Frankly I am sick of the Debbie Wasserman-Schulz's of the Democratic party. This is no time for politics as usual.

[tonyfv]

hear-hear. from a Cuban-American.

[McHenry]

Why should anyone be surprised that Schultz would be in favor of a travel embargo against Cuba. The Cuban Community in Florida is very strong and most of them have favored the same cold war strategy against Cuba for over fifty years. Knowing how passionately this powerful community feels about this issue and endorsing it is the only way Schultz can move up the political food chain in Florida to either Governor or Senator.

Unfortunately, much like Clinton whom Schultz supports this does not represent enlightened leadership. After fifty years it's clear this strategy doesn't work. In contrast, China a communist regime which arguably has commited crimes on a far greater scale than Castro this country not only recognizes, trades with but every American also has the right to travel to. This is also true of many other Communist or aurthoritian countries including Russia. After all President Bush will travel to Communist China this summer to be front and center for the Olympics!

Time and time again we have seen the power of American culture change some of the world's most oppressive regimes for the better. However this can only be happen through more contact not less. Real leadership must risk offending many of the old line Cuban Miami based community not because their hatred of Castro's oppression against their families and interests is not justified but because the way they have chosen to fight it is ineffective. And more over causes even more suffering among many who want to visit their families in both America and Cuba.

McDonald's, Levi jeans and the power of the American economy to inspire Cubans still on the island to demand change is a much more powerful and progressive weapon against the Castro regime than the outdated fifty year old cold war strategy of isolation; which has not worked. Leadership is challenging the old guard of the Miami's Cuban Community and changing America's policy in this regard despite the fact they will kick and scream.

[truthyguy]

You got that right. As to the Wasserman- Clinton alliance, birds of a feather....

[WhyAreYouWearingStripes]

I've had a few encounters with Debbie Wasserman Schultz over the last few months, not to mention a professor who contstantly brings her up in Florida policy discussion, and the woan makes me nauseous! I am so thankful that Wexler is my Congressman instead of this wretched thing.

[howardig]

Unfortunately, I do live in her district. When I called her office to ask her to support the impeachment of Vice President Cheney, I was told that the Congresswoman believes that there are more important things than upholding the Constitution. (In so many words) She said on Ed Schulz' show she said that she would not support impeachment because there were more important things to do. So she supports the Republicans in Florida who want to continue an obviously failed policy, but she will not support the Democratic Congressman immediately to her north who is trying to uphold the Constitution. The Democrats in Broward County deserve better than her.

[Semper]

What does the government have to do with the people. Cuba is not a democracy, which is suppose to mean that they would be inseparable. Thats not the case here. The Cubans live under a communist, state run government. So you can draw a distinction between the Cubans and the government. But Cuban
Americans want to punish their own people. They still have the same attitude towards their own that they had when the lived in Cuba. They were elitist, they represented the rich, and they ran their own country poorly. Castro tried to change things. But no one outside of Cuban was going to let that happen. That would of been a major embarrassment to the bourgeois who left Cuba with all the money and settled in Florida. The Cubans are an interesting group. They have pride, they fight and the are tough. The have even withstood the war between themselves and the Cuban Americans who have only suffered a lost of status. You have to respect any group of people who have suffered as much as the Cubans at the hands of their own brothers and still come out on top as a talented and wholesome people. The have won the respect of the world..

[tonyfv]

hey - let's not generalize too much.Not all Cu-Am's feel that way.

[melann830]

First of all, where do you come off saying that Castro tried to change things as if he sincerely attempted to do better for them. Castro was a cruel being and many of the little children who came here through the Pedro Pan prog and were orphaned can vouch for that fact. Yes, there were many rich elitist individuals who resented Castro overthrowing Fulgencio Batista and being forced to leave their belongings and educational degrees with them in Cuba, but do not try to paint Castro as a saint. He allowed the military to systematically rape women and young girls and many Cubans know this and he violated the Cuban's basic human rights. The Diaz-Balart Patriarch is a brother in law of Fidel Castro. He was also once his friend. Strange that HuffPo and Clemmons sought to not mention this tidbit of information to its readers, but chose to badmouth the two brothers along with Ilieana Ros-Lehtinen. Clemons, why would the Diaz-Balart brothers sanction embargos against Cuba? Perhaps because their father knew the real Fidel Castro and the vicious inner mind of Castro better than most of us do and better than you do Clemmons. Once friend, now enemy, for a truly legitimate reason. Yes, perhaps change was needed in Cuba, but not of the Castro variety.