1.   And it means establishing a working political relationship that can prevent further nonsense like the Elian affair.

2.   As with Waco, President Clinton has turned the Elian affair over to his attorney general.

3.   More broadly, the Elian affair has led people to wonder whether the hard-line anti-Castro Cubans in Miami are losing their clout.

4.   Nationally, the Elian affair exposed longstanding divisions between Cuban-Americans and other Latinos.

5.   Some people think the handling of the Elian affair reveals a new maturity on both sides.

6.   Some even think the Elian affair may end up softening American attitudes to Cuba.

7.   The Elian affair has proved to be an especially slippery slope for Vice President Al Gore in his presidential campaign.

8.   The Elian affair also made uncomfortable allies of the U.S. government and the Cuban government, both of whom sought to reunite Elian with his father.