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Gore Breaks With Administration Policy On Elian Gonzalez Case, Father Rejects Residency Proposal

Aired March 31, 2000 - 1:01 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: The international custody battle over Elian Gonzalez is getting more personal today, pitting the boy's Cuban father against the boy's Florida relatives. Juan Miguel Gonzalez says he's ready to come to the United States to await a court decision on his son, Elian, but only if he can have temporary custody while he waits. Elian's Florida relatives say they won't turn the boy over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENDALL COFFEY, GONZALEZ FAMILY ATTORNEY: Their position has always been consistent. And that position is that they think the father should see the child, that the father should visit the child.

But certainly, as long as this child desperately wants to stay here and as long as the only available psychological evidence indicates that this child, who's obviously suffered extreme trauma, would be injured by a precipitous transfer, then of course the family, which has been so protective of this child, is going to oppose any kind of immediate transfer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATERS: After talks with the Florida relatives, the Justice Department has agreed it will not change Elian's immigration status until Tuesday at the earliest.

The case continues to cause controversy in Washington.

CNN senior White House correspondent John King now at the White House with the latest.

John, what's happening?

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lou, quite a political debate unfolding in Washington because of the vice president's decision about 22 hours ago to break with administration policy.

The president has said all along he believes this case should be settled in the immigration law -- in federal court, based on immigration law.

The vice president now saying he wants young Elian Gonzalez, the boy's father, several other immediate family members to be given permanent residency status in the United States. That would effectively, most lawyers say, translate the case over into family court in Florida, something the relatives in Florida would very much like. This obviously a very public break with the president here at the White House.

Behind the scenes, they're very, very angry. Officials questioning the timing of this. But in public, the White House spokesman Jake Siewert telling reporters a short time ago that as the vice president campaigns for the presidency, Mr. Clinton understands from time to time they will disagree.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SIEWERT, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: The vice president has made the judgment that he thinks there should be a change in the law. We disagree with that, but we've said for a long time now that we will have different points of view on different issues. And this is one of those incidences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The vice president not only breaking with the president, he's breaking with the attorney general, many members of his own Democratic Party. Several sources telling CNN this has caused quite a bit of turmoil among Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill.

Among those who are siding with the president and now oppose the vice president's position, is the Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle. Sources close to him saying he was quite upset, wished he'd been consulted before this decision.

But like here at the White House, in public Senator Daschle quite polite.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), DEMOCRATIC LEADER: Well, I disagree with the vice president, but I respect his position. Obviously, we are going to have disagreements. He now has the same position as Senator Bob Graham. And, as I say, there are those in our party who share that point of view.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, the vice president saying he made this change of policy, change of position, because he did not believe young Elian Gonzalez interests were be appropriately served in the immigration proceedings. Some critics say they believe Florida's 25 electoral votes in presidential politics might have had more to do with it.

As that debate unfolds, one thing is clear: The White House insisting the president will not change his mind. He believes the attorney general and the Immigration and Naturalization Service are handling the case right. He believes the family in Miami should honor the decision of the federal courts -- Lou. WATERS: So, John, how does this shape up as a presidential campaign issue with the vice president and the governor apparently on the same page?

KING: Well, Governor George W. Bush of Texas had been prodding the vice president to make his position more clear. Then, when the vice president did so yesterday, the governor said he welcomed the vice president's position, although he did say it was an 11th-hour conversion.

And now today, Governor George W. Bush at it again. He says if the vice president believes that and if he is, as the president often says, the most influential vice president in history, he should march down the hall and convince the president to change his mind.

So, Governor Bush every day now weighing in on this, a very serious policy matter for the government, obviously now a very hot political issue, as well.

WATER: All right, senior White House correspondent, John King -- Natalie.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: In addition to the dispute over temporary custody for Elian, at least one other issue may have to be worked out before Elian's father comes to the United States: The Cuban government wants a large delegation to accompany him.

CNN Havana bureau chief Lucia Newman with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Anticipating that the U.S. government may not approve visas for everyone on the delegation that's being proposed by Cuba to accompany Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, to the United States, the Cuban government put out a communique basically saying, or everyone went or no one. "We will make no concessions," says the communique. "Everyone on the list is indispensable for the reinsertion of the child in his family and social environment."

In all, Cuba proposes 30 people accompany Elian's father, and entourage which includes his wife, his younger son, Elian's first cousin, Elian's school teacher and half his classmates, as well as a team of medical specialists and the president of Cuba's National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon, who would go as a legal and political adviser.

Even Elian's classroom desk could be transferred to Washington, where Cuba proposes that the Gonzalez family, reunited at last, wait out the outcome of the federal court appeal lodged by the Miami relatives.

Elian's father was reportedly desperate, feeling he was slowly winning the legal battle but losing the boy, who Gonzalez believes with each passing day is becoming more estranged from his family and his roots. President Fidel Castro says the Cuban formula is the best way to begin the boy's re-adaptation process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIDEL CASTRO, PRESIDENT OF CUBA (through translator): Let's see what they say now, if they accept the conditions in which the boy's rights will be recognized along with the possibility of being reunited with those who saw him grow up, who educated him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWMAN (on camera): In another development, Elian's father has reacted angrily to a proposal made by some U.S. legislators that the family be greeted permanent U.S. residency. He says this is a preposterous idea. It's been done without his consultation and certainly without his approval.

Lucia Newman, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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