BY LILA ARZUA

                                      Over cups of café cubano, Gov. Jeb Bush met with dozens
                                      of Cuban exile leaders on Saturday in Little Havana, listening
                                      to their concerns about the embargo, human rights and U.S.
                                      policy toward the island nation.

                                      ``First, I am here to give thanks; many people here worked
                                      hard for my brother,'' he said, referring to the strong
                                      Cuban-American support George W. Bush received in the
                                      presidential election. After frequent policy disagreements
                                      with the Clinton administration, the exile leaders said they
                                      are looking forward to working with the Bush presidency.

                                      Jorge Mas, chairman of the Cuban American National
                                      Foundation, asked that opposition groups in Cuba be funded
                                      by the U.S. government.

                                      ``In the struggle for freedom, people want a proactive, not
                                      reactive, policy. I do, too,'' Bush said. The gathering seemed
                                      to assuage some concerns that the Cuban exile agenda
                                      might get lost in the maze of other interest groups.