The recent trip to Cuba by one of the White House’s favorite couples revealed a split in the so-called "Gang of Eight," the bipartisan group of senators working on comprehensive immigration reform.
Reactions to Jay-Z and Beyonce’s trip to Cuba on their fifth wedding anniversary highlighted the diversity of opinions within the group of senators charged with crafting the new legislation.
Senators Jeff Flake (Az.) and Marco Rubio (Fl.), both Republicans, took to Twitter revealing polar opposite opinions.
So, @beyonce and Jay-Z @s_c_ are in Cuba? Fine by me. Every American should have the right to travel there.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) April 7, 2013
If interested in what life really like in #Cuba @s_c_should have visited persecuted rapper #AngelYunierRemon#99problems&dictatorsareone
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) April 8, 2013
This is not the first time Jigga Man and Mrs. Carter have acted above the law, parading around the world like the hip-hop Barack and Michelle. Rap’s First Couple previously popped into the White House for an unscheduled visit to stroll about the West Wing and the Situation Room.
Musically, the First MC and his First Lady have been on a steady decline, focusing their sizable clout on helping Obama instead of the fans that made them stars in the first place.
Hov’s steady musical decline was most apparent when he joined Obama on the campaign trail, recycling lazy hooks such as I Got 99 Problems but Mitt Ain’t One. B is perhaps now best known more for her lip-syncing snafu at Obama’s Second Inauguration and her publicist’s demands that the Internet stop making fun of photos taken during her Super Bowl performance.
The Blueprint 3 and 4, Jay and B’s respected albums that were released during Obama’s presidency are considered largely forgettable. Even Jay’s collaboration with Kanye West failed to generate the acclaim attached to previous releases.
Iceberg Slim and Sasha Fierce’s Cuban vacation inadvertently revealed how tense and delicate immigration reform is. Reports this week from Capitol Hill pertaining to the Gang of Eight compromise suggest Obama is going to fall short on his promise of comprehensive immigration reform. Again.