Today's Ari Fleischer Press Briefing: WHERE WAS HELEN?

The White House | March 7, 2003

[Dont Mention the War]

So several reporters (especially the WorldNetDaily loon, of all people) demanded to know why Queen Helen was not allowed to spew last night, and Ari gave the exact, factual answer: They were looking for REPORTERS last night, not columnists.

But more importantly, Ari himself did not call on The Old Hag today! Was he intentionally snubbing her? Or did she stay home and pout like a little girl instead of coming in to work today?

[Egregious Philbin]

What questions are the unasked ones that Bush would have avoided?

I can think of a ton. I didn't watch last night, but I did hear that no one asked about Bin Laden - is that true? That would make me a little suspicious...

[js1138]

Sam Donaldson was asking on his radio show this morning why nobody asked Bush about the reports about the capture of bin Laden.

Since all the reports are coming from the press, not the government, they should be asking themselves.

[Cable225]

Les Kinsolving has never struck me as psycho

You forgot the /sarcasm tag.

[FryingPan101]

OMG, Legs!!! AND she was actually posing. AAAAAAGGGGGGHHH!

[kayak]

LOL!

[aristeides]

Kinsolving was a hero here on FR, by the way, during the Clinton regime.

[rockinonritalin]

OOPS--just snorted coke all over my keyboard

Dude, do it on a smooth table next time. You lose too much in between the keys that way and that sh*t is expesive.

[metesky]

You are wrong and she is the one who declared her enmity to the Bush Administration.

[Vicki]

It was a relief not to see or hear her. I'm glad the WH didn't call on her or give her a seat in the front row. She's as irritating as a fruit fly around a glass of wine.

[Sloth]

Terry Moron is her journalistic gigolo.

[goodnesswins]

BEST laugh I've had this week! "ComBATant"

[SamAdams76]

Just out of curiosity, how does the president call upon reporters in a press conference? Is it done at random or is there supposed to be some kind of pecking order? I saw what must have been 100 reporters at that press conference last night. To call upon every one of them would have taken all night. With that in mind, why are certain reporters (like this Helen character) offended when they are not called upon every single time?

[nfldgirl]

That was an outstanding answer. He also said he provided the president with the list of reporters to call on during the news conference. (Rove, Hughes didn't provide the list).

Don't know if others caught this last night, but right when President Bush was calling upon one journalist in particular, with the camera pointed in her direction, I could see Ari sitting toward the right in the camera lense and caught a very quick smile from Ari to the President...one of assurance/confidence, of support, of backing the President...it was just one of those very brief, instantaneous moments that spoke volumes about the relationship between these two men. Anyone else see this? Any comment?

[goodnesswins]

YES, she is "just an old lady" which is WHY SHE WAS NOT CALLED UPON! She is NOT a reporter any longer.....and her family and friends ought to be giving her good counsel - like go write books and enjoy your last years doing something useful besides calling the current President "the worst President ever."

[mabelkitty]

Actually, she retired and shouldn't even be there any more. It's like asking Ann Landers to come and squawk to the President.

She is irrelevant, and I hope she gets it now.

[Cable225]

I was just kidding. Les can be right on the money but sometimes he can be waaaaaaaay out there, too.

[Boundless]

> Drudge says she was in the 3rd row and it ended a
> long time tradition that she was allowed to ask a
> question. I did not read all of the report.

Often the first question, depending on how you define "question".

"Since the president plans to kill millions of innocent Iraqis...
[...insert two more paragraphs of propaganda...]
why won't he repeal NAFTA?"

I have trouble thinking it was a coincidence that the
White House chose a very high profile press conference
to de-throne Helen.

I'm not sure what the etymology of "bitch slap" is,
but I suggest that last night was an example of it.

And Ari's comment today indicates that the wicked
witch is truly dead, and that last night wasn't just an
unusual exception to tradition.

[Not A Snowbird]

I did catch that little smile from Ari. Something must have tickled his fancy at that particular moment...

I was wondering why Helen Thomas wasn't there, now I find out she was there and wasn't called on. That is way too precious... it's ABOUT TIME they put her in her place!

[way-right-of-center]

I was gonna ask how you got the straw in between the keys...


J/K!