Dan Rather thought (and said as much on the air) that Elián González should have been reunited with his father and returned to Cuba. Rather was quick to defend Attorney General Janet Reno for ordering a raid to seize Elián from his Miami relatives in CBS News's live coverage, even to the point of cutting off a colleague on the air.

Dan Rather interviewed Elián's father, Juan González, and asked him about a home video where the boy said he wanted to stay in America:
RATHER: I know you've seen this videotape, but with your permission I want to show it to you again, have you watch it, and tell us your reaction to the videotape please. [...] Tell me what you felt, not just in your head but also your heart when you saw and heard on that videotape your son say, 'Papa, you can stay here but I don't want to go to Cuba.'[...] I want to ask you something man to man. After you saw that videotape for the first time, did you weep?
JUAN González: I'm going to tell you the truth. I don't have any tears left. I've cried too much. During this whole period of time, I've cried a lot and suffered greatly and I'm still in pain.
RATHER (voice trembling): Ah, but a father never dries up.
--Dan Rather interviewing Juan González on 60 Minutes II, April 16, 2000.

The Seizure of Elián
ASSURAS: That one photograph that we have been seeing all morning with that, uh, the authorities with a gun pointed in the direction of Elián González is a photograph -- there it is again -- that the Justice Department is certainly very concerned about. Jim Stewart is standing by to tell us what the Justice Department...
RATHER (interrupting): Just before we do that, though, Thalia, I think we should say -- we've pointed this out before and I know you agree -- it is unclear whether the weapon is being pointed at the child or not. From that, from the perspective the photograph was taken, you can not, in fact, tell whether the gun was being pointed at the child. Now, fair to say that those inside the house, family members, rather emotionally had said that the gun had been pointed at them and was also pointed at the child. But just for precision and accuracy, which is so important here, it's yet to be determined whether the gun was actually being pointed at the child or off to the side. Now to Jim Stewart. Thanks.
--Dan Rather and Thalia Assuras during CBS's live coverage, April 22, 2000.

"It's hard to see how she [Janet Reno] gets criticized for the way the operation was carried out."
--Dan Rather during live coverage.

"While Fidel Castro, and certainly justified on his record, is widely criticized for a lot of things, there is no question that Castro feels a very deep and abiding connection to those Cubans who are still in Cuba. And, I recognize this might be controversial, but there's little doubt in my mind that Fidel Castro was sincere when he said, 'listen, we really want this child back here.'"
--Rather during live coverage.

"Even if the photographer was in the house legally, which knowing the Associated Press would be very surprising if he wasn't, there is the question of the privacy, beginning with the privacy of the child. No one can look at these photographs and not think what this child is going through." "What about the child's rights, does the child have a right to privacy, is it possible, is there any legal basis, for the family of the child, perhaps the father, to sue the Miami relatives for allowing the child's privacy to be, as they might say, trampled in this case, or is there no legal case to be made for that?"
--Rather during live coverage.

CBS was doing a live tour of the house of the Miami relatives, surveying some of the damage done:
"We want to pick up some more of this I think as it goes along, but it's important for accuracy, for fairness, and for balance to point out that so far the relatives in Miami have dominated the imagery and the sounds of this morning."
--Rather during live coverage.

CALLER: Dan, I just wanted to call and ask what your personal opinion was to see if you want [Elián] to go back or you don't want him to go back or what the situation is.
RATHER: Well, you know, I try to report the facts and keep my personal opinion out of it. And with all respect, I'm not going to answer that question.
--Dan Rather on Larry King Live, April 19, 2000. print_file('footer'); ?>