Tribute thread on the passing of Helen Thomas-- one truly "Bad-Ass" reporter/Presidential "thorn"

[hlthe2b]

I am posting this image in this thread as a special tribute at the suggestion of niyad and a couple others...I do realize she has her detractors, but just for today, just for this thread, can we please put that aside?

My very favorite image of Helen:

[Triana]

1. :) modified it a bit....

[hlthe2b]

5. and she certainly did... fearlessly (cover the worst president in American history)

[niyad]

2. k and r for my favourite pic of a truly remarkable woman. you are sorely missed, dear lady.

[hlthe2b]

3. A pic from DUer's community effort to "shower" Helen with flowers...

Redditt and other groups followed later with their own flowers, but we were the first! (and Helen was absolutely thrilled)

[polly7]

4. +1000! That was brilliant. nt.

[Triana]

10. THAT's the picture I was trying to find!

Thanks! This is the one I remember most.

[cascadiance]

25. And note how the DU flower tribute was one of a few photos showing her life in Zogby interview...

Watch the video here of this interview James Zogby did with Helen Thomas not long before Obama got elected and after the DU flowers. There weren't too many "highlight" photos of special times in her life in that part of the interview, but the DU flowers part was one of these photos. I have to believe that given that, this tribute was very special to her too! It feels good to have been able to have been a part of honoring her in that fashion when we had the chance to do so.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=94364

[hlthe2b]

26. Oh, that's nice... I'd never seen that before....

[helderheid]

27. The Hill on that event:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070102065719/http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/033006/thomas.html

[hlthe2b]

28. ^^This DUER was instrumental in making those "flowers for Helen" happen!^^

Thanks so much helderheid for that and for posting this Hill.com summary today! I'd hoped we'd hear from you!

[woo me with science]

6. Thank you.

Helen, we miss you.

[G_j]

7. Thank You Helen!!

:love:

She was the best, and accessible! She would take the time to personally respond to mail/email.

[whathehell]

13. Yes, I remember getting a personal thanks from her for my Birthday greetings!

I was very touched.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. She was a great journalist and a great lady. Unfortunately, she seems to be irreplaceable.

[Wednesdays]

9. The photoshopped subject is quite appropos, too.

She was the Sultan of Swat herself.

[hlthe2b]

11. Some of the media tweets re: the loss of Helen Thomas:

@kasie
Kasie Hunt
I, like every young woman journalist, owe so much to Helen Thomas. #groundbreaker

@AnnCurry
Ann Curry
"Without a free press, there can be no democracy."-Helen Thomas

@rajunarisetti
Raju Narisetti
This 1968 @whitehouse picture of #HelenThomas sums up how pathbreaking her career was for women: http://t.co/VSOgCRfG9u h/t @marklittlenews

@mitchellreports
Andrea Mitchell
Helen Thomas made it possible for all of us who followed: woman pioneer journalist broke barriers died today wld have been 93 nxt month RIP

@DanaPerino
Dana Perino
Rest in peace, Helen Thomas. First day I ever took the podium she came to encourage me. This was that day. http://t.co/wpAl3bMR10

@gwenifill
gwen ifill
Helen Thomas. Fearless. RIP #groundbreaker

@juliemmoos
Julie Moos
MT @melindadc: You'd never know from tweets that Helen Thomas had become a pariah; hope she felt a little of this love while still with us.

@SBalaghi
Shiva Balaghi
She was often the only woman, & definitely the only Arab-American, in the press room. RIP fearless Helen Thomas.

@peterfhart
Peter Hart
When Helen Thomas asked ?? other WH correspondents would roll their eyes. Good sign she was doing something right. http://t.co/nIcxH1BFpu

@GStephanopoulos
GeorgeStephanopoulos
Rest in peace Helen Thomas. We sparred. We laughed. I so admired her tenacity.

@ggreenwald
Glenn Greenwald
RIP Helen Thomas, a true pioneer in so many ways, who really understood the purpose of journalism http://t.co/WefbEBkQys

@petermaercbs
PETER MAER
Helen Thomas on wire service reporting: "It was just the facts mam. If your mother told you she loved you, you checked it out."

[Zorra]

12. Helen was the nitty gritty salt of the earth real thing.

She's gotta be in heaven, because the devil surely don't wanna mess with the likes of her.


To a seriously awesome woman

[suffragette]

14. Helen's thank you to DU for the roses

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=803569


Blessed are the peacemakers. The bounty of beautiful roses from such
wonderful people has lifted my heart and will remain in my memory for the
rest of my life. Thank you for caring that others may live.
Helen Thomas
Columnist, Hearst Newspapers

[hlthe2b]

15. +++ Thanks for finding that...

[suffragette]

22. Thank you for this thread

She paved the way for women in the press.


http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/interviews/helenthomas.html

Helen Thomas is often referred to as “The First Lady of the Press,” former White House Bureau Chief Helen Thomas is a trailblazer, breaking through barriers for women reporters while covering every President since John F. Kennedy. Thomas was the only woman print journalist to travel with President Nixon to China during his breakthrough trip in January, 1972. A past president of the Women’s National Press Club, Thomas was the first woman officer of the National Press Club (1959-60), the first woman officer and president of the White House Correspondents Association (1975-76), and the first woman member and president of the Gridiron Club. The World Almanac cited her as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in America.

[HelenWheels]

16. She replied to my emails

When I told her I loved her she replied, "Thanks, not many do any more." I told her she was wrong about that.

[avaistheone1]

17. How kind of her.

You are right she is loved and she will never be forgotten.

RIP dear Helen.

[Ilsa]

20. She replied to one of mine, too. nt

[libodem]

18. .

[Ilsa]

19. Rest in peace, Helen. nt

[DirkGently]

21. KNR.

[hlthe2b]

23. I just wanted to link to this newly posted tribute from Helen's close friend, DUer DFW

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023302783

Thanks, DFW

[cal04]

24. Thank you for the link hlthe2b