TALLAHASSEE -- Invoking Elian Gonzalez in a fund-raising letter for the
 Republican Party of Florida proved to be a losing proposition for the GOP.

 First, the chairman of the party had to concede that the February letter portraying
 Fidel Castro as a ``soulless tyrant'' and blasting President Clinton's ``cowardice''
 in acceding to Castro's wishes with Elian ``wasn't in good judgment.''

 Profits from the letter seeking donations to the party of up to $1,000 would
 instead go to Elian's legal defense fund, party chairman Al Cardenas said. Then,
 the party wrote a check for $2,000.

 The Elian-themed appeal was a ``prospecting letter'' mailed to potential donors
 who have not contributed in the past. Thousands were mailed.

 ``The contribution we sent to the Elian Gonzalez fund is actually a larger amount
 of money than we received from the letter itself,'' Jamie Wilson, the party's
 executive director, said Thursday.

                                                 --MARK SILVA

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald