[expatpat]

She was flight-testing a new broom.

[1Old Pro]

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?

I dunno, you tell me.

[Mr. Mojo]

And did you hear that psycho Lester what's-his-name complain about the procedure last night? I believe he outright stated that Bush knew exactly what questions were coming from which reporters. Ari cut him off very quickly.
I believe this Lester fellow is a conservative....and if so, he's the conservative equivalent of Helen Thomas.

[polemikos]

I thought HT served the role of "useful idiot" with her far-left ?'s. However, she may have provided cover for "not-quite-as-far left idiots" at CNN, etc. Cutting her out may very well pull the whole press corp to the right.

[KansasConservative1]

I was thrilled that Helen T was not allowed to disrespect the president in front of the world last night. She is just that, a columnist, not a serious journalist. BRAVO to the WH staff.

[Prysson]

My personal guess is that considering the solemnity of a preware press conference they didnt want to have some whacked out senile moron asking irrelevent but nevertheless leading questions.

Of course that all he got anyway.

[syriacus]

Ari gave the exact, factual answer: They were looking for REPORTERS last night, not columnists.

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).

[Tamzee]

Wondered the same thing myself....

Ari is a true hero to put up with her the way he does.

[monkeywrench]

Maybe she was finally declared an enemy comBATant, and is even at this moment being interrogated. :)

[Hatteras]

She was at home today drowning her sorrows in a pitcher of Manhattans and a carton of Kents.

[Nam Vet]

I have no idea if she was there or not. I sure didn't see or hear her. That's good IMHO. Just a guess on my part, but I think she's in a snit and purposefully didn't show up just to 'teach the White House a lesson'. Great! Let her continue a boycott until she's just unceremoniously dropped from the list of invitees.

Nam Vet

[Petronski]

When the moon is waxing crescent, sea monsters must return to salt water or be bound on land forever.

[Procyon]

Finde with me if HT is never called on again. It is a press conference, not "Crossfire".

And is Gregory (NBC) really an idiot, suggesting that the Vietnam war was about "regime change". He was what, 4 years old at the time?

[dead]

Maybe somebody finally informed Helen that she died of old age in 1978.

[Sparky760]

This is the same thing the James Polk administration did to Helen in 1847.......

[aynrandfreak]

What's funny is that is was HT that was complaining about how long it had been since W had held a press conference the day before this one was announced.

Here's your press conference Madam; your seat is right back there.

[The Wizard]

I have to say, being moved to the third row last night, and then not even called on, probably hurt her to her heart, made her feel very old and she didn't show up today at all.

I am very aware that she has been extremely crude in her comments about the President and I guess they were tired of it.

That being said, for 40 years she has been in the front row and asking questions, and last night signaled the end of that era, and having been around a lot of seniors, this was probably like a knife thru her heart, and while I too hated the implications of her questions, I am very afraid that last night may have impacted her in a very bad way......

She was only a reporter, not the enemy dasshole is, (who I must say, I would not miss.)

[Sloth]

I wish they wouldn't ever call on that Terry Moron -- I mean, Moran -- from ABC.

[Exeter]

"Little girl" pout? This old bat looks to be in more dire need of roughage in her diet than anyone else I can think of...

[Dionysius]

She was out doing her favorite thing -- stopping clocks. On bright, sunny days she stops sundials.