Andrea Mitchell Decries 'Anti-Castro Vitriol' of the GOP 'Pander Bears' in FL

Scott Whitlock

January 26, 2012 - 4:03pm

A disgusted Andrea Mitchell on Thursday decried the "anti-Castro vitriol" coming from Republican presidential candidates in Florida, sneering that they are "pander bears" to the Cuban community. [MP3 audio here [1].]

Teasing a discussion with Chuck Todd, Mitchell dismissed the GOP contenders: "And as Romney and Gingrich try to outdo each other with their anti-Castro vitriol, appealing to Florida voters, they think, Fidel weighed in today with his view of them." Todd lectured that Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney "ought to be careful, because it doesn't sound believable."

Continuing to show her disdain, Mitchell made a historical comparison: "Well, remember, it was in Florida in '92 that the late Paul Tsongas accused Bill Clinton to be a pander bear, by pandering to the Medicare, Social Security contingent who didn't want any entitlement reform."

She then snapped, "I think we've now reached a new level of pander bears in Florida."

Mitchell has a history of spinning for the communist dictatorship and decrying its critics.

On May 1, 2007 [2], she reported from Cuba and insisted, "There have been no major problems, other than the continuing economic difficulties that of course this country faces because of the U.S. embargo, the economic embargo."

On December 16, 1999 [3], during the Elian Gonzalez saga, Mitchell proclaimed of Castro: "Without doubt he [Castro] is taking personal control of the case of the six-year-old, even to the point of calling child psychiatrists to ask about the effect of all this on the child's mind. His chief concern: Could the boy readjust to life here?...He seemed old-fashioned, courtly — even paternal."

For more, see a MRC Media Reality Check [4].

A transcript of the January 26 exchange:

1pm tease

ANDREA MITCHELL: And as Romney and Gingrich try to outdo each other with their anti-Castro vitriol, appealing to Florida voters, they think, Fidel weighed in today with his view of them.

1:07

MITCHELL: But certainly not soft when it comes to Castro. It was pretty remarkable in the debate the other night, with Brian Williams, where you had Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich each trying to outdo each other as to what they would do to Fidel Castro.

CHUCK TODD: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't heard a presidential candidate basically say, he'll be gone. Well, what are you going to do? You going to use the military? I mean, it's been interesting to hear the ramped up rhetoric to the point of where, they ought to be careful, because it doesn't sound believable.

MITCHELL: Well, remember, it was in Florida in '92 that the late Paul Tsongas accused Bill Clinton to be a pander bear, by pandering to the Medicare, Social Security contingent who didn't want any entitlement reform.

TODD: Didn't work.

MITCHELL: I think we've now reached a new level of pander bears in Florida.

TODD: Uh- one of the great Paul Tsongas quotes.

— Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here [5] to follow him on Twitter.