Legislators say Cuba letter may get results

Posted on Tue, Aug. 12, 2003

Legislators say Cuba letter may get results
White House staff calls about concerns
BY OSCAR CORRAL AND LESLEY CLARK
ocorral@herald.com

Two Republican state legislators who signed a letter to President Bush urging him to get tougher on Cuba or face a loss of Cuban American political support said they received phone calls from Bush staffers Monday indicating an eventual positive response.

State Rep. David Rivera, who helped draft the letter signed by 13 Hispanic lawmakers, said a Bush administration official called him to talk about news reports of the document. Rivera declined to identify the person or the topic, but said, ``I am optimistic that positive news is forthcoming on U.S.-Cuba policy.''

State Rep. Marco Rubio, another of the signers, said he also got a call early Monday morning from a White House staffer whom he wouldn't identify.

'They said, `You can be sure the right people, the decision makers, are going to know about this today,' '' Rubio said.

However, White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said Monday afternoon that the letter had not yet arrived. (snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/6511736.htm