NewsMax.com.
Thursday, Dec. 21, 2000
President Clinton acknowledged his administration's seizure of Elian
Gonzalez may have contributed to Vice President Al Gore's loss of the
presidency.
Agents for the Clinton-Gore administration's Justice Department entered the
Miami home of relatives of the 6-year-old Cuban refugee and forcibly removed the
boy, sending him back to Cuba with his father.
In an interview on the CBS program "60 Minutes," Clinton said:
• That could well have cost the Democratic candidate "lots of
votes" in Florida, throwing the victory to Republican George W. Bush.
"And if it did," Clinton said, "I feel very bad about it,
because this wasn't anything that anybody dreamed up."
• More votes for Gore may have been lost in West Virginia when the
Clinton-Gore administration failed to move swiftly to block imports of cheap
steel.
"I don't think they're right about it," he said, "but they
did blame us for the closing of a steel mill there."
• Critics were wrong in saying Gore underused him on the campaign
trail.
"I don't believe the rest of us should second-guess the leader of the
team, including me," he said.
• Even though he disagreed with the Supreme Court's halting of the hand
recounts of votes in Florida, Americans should accept the decision, which he
suggested was political.
Was he surprised the court took the case?
"No," he said, "not after eight years in Washington, I
wasn't. They had the power to do it, and they did it."
• It's "worse than idle speculation" to suggest first lady
Hillary Clinton has her cap set on becoming president.
"What I've urged her to do," he said "is, No. 1, solidify her
roots and her ties with the people of New York state, have an agenda for New
York.
"Have an agenda for America, because every senator is a senator on
American issues, too.
"Stay on the forefront of ideas. Keep pushing and getting things done,
and, you know, the future will take care of itself."
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