1.   Sanford said the Cuban exile lobby has kept lawmakers in line with generous campaign contributions.

2.   Sweig noted that the Cuban exile lobby has almost always had its way in Washington.

3.   The exile lobby succeeded in negating much of its impact by banning private US credit for the sales.

4.   The Helms-Burton Act, fomented by the exile lobby, seeks to punish any business in any other country that does business with Cuba.

5.   Yet with American business leaders vowing to revisit the policy, the deep-pocketed exile lobby may have met its match.

6.   Members of the powerful right-wing exile lobby, the Cuban American National Foundation, gathered at Tampa Bay to protest as the boats began leaving Friday morning.