In all of the noise about Iraq, Iran, Mukasey, FISA, and the upcoming Annapolis Peace Summit on Israel/Palestine, I neglected to mention that a vote was taken in the UN General Assembly condeming America's embargo against Cuba.

The vote was 184-4. The four were the United States, Israel, Marshall Islands, and Palau. Micronesia didn't even vote with the U.S. and abstained.

Japan voted against us. Germany voted against us. The Philippines voted against us. Poland voted against us. Mexico and Canada voted against us. The UK, Iceland, Brazil, and Singapore voted against us.

And while Israel voted with us, Israeli firms are nonetheless managing citrus groves in Cuba.

Hillary Clinton has unfortunately said that she would continue the Bush administration's policies on Cuba -- and that there are more differences between her and Barack Obama on the family-damaging restrictions on travel and trade than between her and George W. Bush.

I hope that she finds a way to change her mind -- because we need a NEW direction in US foreign policy not hug-sessions with the past, particularly policies that have clearly failed not only recently but over four decades.

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