Apr. 10, 1963 - New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller today assailed the Kennedy Administration for “holding back” Cuban exile raiders. He said he hoped the reason was not to “appease or placate the Soviets.” Rockefeller attacked the Administration all down the line at a packed press conference in Washington, D.C. During his stay in the capital city, he spoke at a breakfast meeting of 150 House members, showed up at a GOP Congressional wives club meeting, and lunched with the “bull elephants,” the Republican party’s Congressional leaders. At his press conference, Rockefeller stressed that “until Soviet troops and equipment are out of Cuba — and Mr. Castro is gone — it’s going to be very difficult to alleviate the growing Communist threat and threat of Castroism.” Asked what U.S. relations should be with the anti-Castro exile movement, he said: “It is very hard for me to understand why we are supporting freedom fighters in South Vietnam and why we are holding them back and preventing them from operating in Cuba, 90 miles off our shore.”
