Sunday, May 10, 2009

Nothing accomplished: George Ryan's trip to Cuba 10 years later

There have been several false starts regarding normalization of relations with Cuba.

In 1999, disgraced former Illinois Governor George Ryan led a trip of 50 Illinoisans that included business leaders and legislators to the Communist-ruled island in 1999.

Initially Ryan said the trip was organized to build trade relations with Illinois and Cuba, but as the State Journal-Register reports, it was later labeled a humanitarian mission.

Looking back ten years later, it's safe to call the Ryan trip an expensive junket. It wasn't even a false start--it was a non-starter.

Ryan, a Republican, is currently incarcerated in federal prison on various fraud charges.

Related post:

Why I oppose a George Ryan commutation

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