Hostile tone (Helen Thomas Alert)

Washington Times | 12/10/01 | Greg Pierce

[Lance Romance]

Hostile tone
     "At Wednesday's White House press briefing former UPI reporter Helen Thomas demanded to know what makes President Bush 'think that he has the right to go into a sovereign country and bomb the people?'" the Media Research Center (www.mrc.org) reported.
     "As the senior White House correspondent Thomas, now a columnist with Hearst Newspapers, gets the first question when she attends briefings, which isn't very often anymore," the MRC's Brent Baker wrote.
     "On December 5, she took advantage of her privileged position to pose this question to Press Secretary Ari Fleischer: 'Ari, what makes the president — I'm taking note of his wide-swinging threats in speeches recently. What makes him think that he has the right to go into a sovereign country and bomb the people?'
     "Fleischer was baffled by her hostile tone: 'His threats?'
     "Thomas: 'Any country. Yes, he's —'
     "Fleischer: 'Would you like to be more specific?'
     "Thomas: 'Does he think he can go beyond Afghanistan or anywhere else?'
     "Fleischer responded: 'The president has made it clear to the American people that the United States, in the wake of an attack on our country, will defend itself. And as a result of defending ourselves, you can see what is happening in Afghanistan. The president has said that this is a war against terrorism because terrorists continue to pose a threat to the United States and to others around the world, and that he is involved in phase one of defending this country against terrorists, and he will continue to do so. Major.'
     "Thomas, raising her voice to cut off CNN's Major Garrett: 'What gives him the authority to go into other countries and bomb them, which is what he is threatening to do?'
     "Fleischer tried again: 'The right as the commander-in-chief to protect and defend the American people.'
     "The real wonder is why the White House still provides press credentials to such a political activist," Mr. Baker opined.

[Lance Romance]

Someone put that old bat in a nursing home. She needs to be sedated, fed jello and put in front of a TV playing a continuous loop of "Price is Right".

[winin2000]

Am I mistaken in remembering that this broom-flyer announced imminent retirement over a year ago? Why the hell is still here?

[Fraulein]

Just another lamestream liberal who lacks class, and who continues to embarrass and disgrace herself.....

[OldFriend]

Ah but she represents the white house press corps so well.......truly representative wouldn't you say. I wonder if her cohorts secretly applaud her or deplore the way she makes them all look.

[Reg Niwthgir]

I think Helen Thomas is less a conscious political activist than a sad figure of a woman sinking into senile dementia. The White House should revoke her credentials out of compassion. Let the poor woman decline in private.

[smiley]

Ari should have corrected Thomas and told her that Clinton is no longer the President now. :)

[Always Right]

Why Hellen, why don't you tell the some 3,000 widows and even more fatherless children that we are gonna to nothing about the murder of their spouse/father.

[Leisler]

If they got her out of there, there would be room for three more reporters.

[ChemistCat]

If she's not there, they might find a pacifist who can make a REASONED case for restraint in widening the war. (I didn't say a correct case. But perhaps a persuasive one--which she cannot do.) She's there and given first question rights for a good reason--she makes her cause appear ludicrous. By all means, pamper this woman and make her feel wanted and needed. She is.

[ConservativeyetHotChick]

You took the words right outta my mouth honey! LOL

[YaYa123]

If I'm not mistaken, I see Ellen Ratner at White House briefings. It's puzzling to me how known partisans, opinionists, are given press credentials as reporters, at the White House.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

She is Arafat with a wig. Look at the similarities.

[Fintan]

'The right as the commander-in-chief to protect and defend the American people.'

Just what part don't you understand, Helen?

[tom paine 2]

She does more to help the cause of conservative America every time she opens her yapper. I say give her the first question especially at a televised news conference. There is nothing more delectable than seeing liberals self immolate.

[MindBender26]

Had dinner with Helen Thomas in DC about 2 years. It was at her favorite place, Mama Ayeshias (sp), up near the Zoo.

Three things immediately strike you about her.

First, In profile, her middle-eastern appearance is very obvious. She was born in Syrian controlled Lebanon, or her parents emigrated from there just before she was born.

Secondly, she is very anti-Semitic. After the first few of what was to be many glasses of wine, she made it very obvious that she thought there should be no Jews in the Middle East and the Israelis were simply criminal interlopers in her land.

Finally, Clinton was a wonderful man and the Republicans attacking this “good, kindly, liberal statesmen” were simply “fools and barbarians.”

By the time we finished, she had probably gone through more than a full bottle of red wine herself, and this was a nightly occurrence. She was accompanied by a young woman who was introduced as her “book agent,” but the relationship seems more personal than that.

….and every night, millions of people depend on Helen Thomas to tell them what is really going on in the United States and the world.

[oyez]

I can't remember MS Thomas harassing the Clinton administration.

Maybe she needs to understand that when there is a epidimic threatning disease, we will go to any length to control it. Or simply put, when you have cockroaches you exterminate.

Its time Helen retired.

[Movemout]

If you can't answer the stupid questions then what will you do when the difficult ones present themselves? Helen Thomas is past her prime. The young wannabes are watching and listening. I think our representatives should answer questions, whether stupid or relevant. If the questions are inappropriate then do not answer. If they are appropriate then answer to the best of one's ability. This is also a key facet of our Country's freedom. Sometimes we tend to forget this on FR because the questions are so often inappropriate.

[RooRoobird14]

And why exactly does this old bag of laundry with beady eyes always get the first question?

Agreed: put this nasty hag in a nursing home--she's clearly showing signs of advanced dementia.