When she’s not too busy bungling the basic details of stories that fall under her purview as NBC News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent, Andrea Mitchell is often engaged in her own clownish brand of advocacy journalism. And this is to say nothing of the beyond-kid-glove treatment she gives certain interview subjects.

Take, for example, Mitchell’s sit-down this week with outgoing Planned Parenthood chief Cecile Richards, who has a new memoir out titled, Make Trouble. It wasn’t so much a news interview as it was like one of those gloriously awkward Chris Farley sketches from “Saturday Night Live.” It was all compliment and fawning and no substance.