BY FRANK DAVIES

 WASHINGTON -- Vice President Al Gore's break with the administration
 in the Elian Gonzalez case may undercut the Immigration and Naturalization
 Services delicate negotiations over the boy's fate, a former top INS official
 said Friday.

 But congressional supporters of a permanent residency bill designed to take
 the boys case out of the hands of the INS conceded that even with Gore's
 support the measure still faces major hurdles on Capitol Hill.

 ``The votes arent there yet,'' conceded Sen. Bob Smith, the New Hampshire
 Republican who introduced the bill this week with the support of Floridas two
 senators, Democrat Bob Graham and Republican Connie Mack.

 ANOTHER VIEW

 And they may never be, although Graham was more hopeful: ``The vice presidents
 support will be very helpful, not only with Democrats but it will take the
 partisanship out of this issue.''

 The more immediate effect of Gores stance could be on the continuing talks in
 Miami between government officials and lawyers for the boys Miami relatives.

 INS lawyers trying to persuade the family to accept the inevitability of giving up
 Elian have just lost important leverage, said Jan Ting, former assistant INS
 commissioner for refugees and asylum.

 ``INS people are professionals who know politics underlies everything,'' said Ting,
 a Temple University immigration law professor. ``But this [Gores position] really
 takes away some important support at a critical moment.''

 He added, ``Many in the INS have felt this case has dragged on too long, and its
 very demoralizing.''

 Rita Simon, an American University law professor who closely follows the INS and
 immigration issues, had a similar perspective: ``Its one thing for the INS when
 federal courts weigh in, they expect that -- but when presidential candidates get
 involved, including from the administration, it makes the negotiations very difficult.''

 `JAWS WERE DROPPING'

 One INS employee, who requested anonymity, said news of Gores position on
 Thursday spread rapidly at INS headquarters, ``and jaws were dropping; it was
 quite a blow.''

 But Maria Cardona, INS spokeswoman, said talks would resume Monday with the
 relatives lawyers, and Gores position ``would not affect things.''

 The timing of Gores announcement caused some discomfort Friday at the White
 House, and prompted disagreement from the Democratic leader of the Senate,
 Tom Daschle.

 President Clinton opposes the latest version of the ``Elian bill,'' spokesman Jake
 Siewert said, but he would not say whether Clinton would veto the bill should it
 pass.

 ``There is a lot of opposition to that bill in Congress. They [similar bills] have been
 kicking around up there for a couple of months and we haven't seen any action on
 it,'' Siewert said.

 The bill would confer permanent residency status on Elian, his father and five
 other family members living in Cuba. It doesnt go as far as citizenship -- a
 measure offered by Mack that has languished since January.

 BILL IS PROTESTED

 But the father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, is seeking a visa to come to the United
 States to claim his son, and in a letter sent to Lott and Daschle, he protested the
 residency bill.

 ``We frankly are surprised that someone could undertake this initiative without
 consent and without even consulting our opinion,'' said the letter. ``We are not in
 agreement and we hope the United States Senate does not approve it.''

 The letter was reprinted Friday in the Cuban Communist Party newspaper,
 Granma.

 Daschle said Friday that he disagreed with Gore on the issue: ``I think
 reunification with the father is paramount, and the sooner the better.'' Later,
 speaking about political posturing he has seen during the months-long
 controversy, Daschle called it ``as despicable a situation as Ive seen in a long,
 long time.''

 Even with Gores support, the Elian bill faces long odds in Congress. Stalwart
 conservatives such as Reps. Steve Largent of Oklahoma and Mark Sanford of
 South Carolina said they favored returning the boy to his father because it fit their
 family-values agenda.

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald