Press passes can't be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the president. Still, it would be suspicious if Dowd were denied a press pass while someone from "Talon News" got one, even if he is a better reporter.
If Helen Thomas is Lebanese(and therefore an Arab) how is that a slur? If someone calls me a Caucasian or European, they are not "slurring" me, they are describing me.