former WH reporter Helen Thomas: "This government lies"

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0708-08.htm

Published on Thursday, July 8, 2004 by the Indianapolis Star (Indiana)

Columnist Upset with White House
Helen Thomas tells Indy journalists Bush administration and media ignore truth.

by Sara Scavongelli

Hearst News Service columnist Helen Thomas has unambiguous feelings about the Bush administration.

"This government lies," she said Wednesday to editors, reporters and interns from The Indianapolis Star.

As for the Bush administration's claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, one of the key arguments for going to war against Saddam Hussein, Thomas had one word: "Baloney."

"I think we have a government that absolutely is ignoring the truth and a press that is ignoring the truth," she said during a luncheon at the Downtown Radisson Hotel.

Thomas, 83, who worked for United Press International for 57 years as a correspondent and White House bureau chief, began covering the Oval Office during the Kennedy administration.

The columnist said she thinks the press today is doing a terrible job covering the presidency -- worse than she ever has seen.


..more..

[sweetheart]

1. criminal fraud and subverting the constitution

It is more than lies i'm afraid. It is war crimes and crimininal
racketeering to destroy the nation... "treason".

I'm glad she figured it out. God has obviously helped her. :-)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Just ask them.

The columnist said she thinks the press today is doing a terrible job covering the presidency -- worse than she ever has seen.

No they don't... just ask the press secretary(s) They wore poor Ari plumb out.

If Clinton were as protected as these guys are.... he would have been able to do it on Sunday morning... on main street.... and no one would have said a word.

[goddess40]

3. I absolutely love Helen

I wish more of the press had her brain power and nerve. She calls it as she sees it. I am always impressed by someone who does the right thing without worrying about the fall out.

[indigobusiness]

11. I do too...

I adore her, and I rarely use that term.

"I am always impressed by someone who does the right thing without worrying about the fall out."

....I couldn't agree more.

[Poiuyt]

4. The only reporter in Washington with any balls

and she's an 83 year old woman.

[nostamj]

5. she's not 'former' !

they just won't call on her. snotty doesn't like REAL questions, esp. from Helen.... she's there though. check out the transcripts of the 'gaggles' that Josh Marshall often posts....

www.talkingpointsmemo.com

[G_j]

6. Oh, I thought she had left the WH

thanks

[indigobusiness]

12. When the smoke clears...

and she tunes up her voice, she will have something loud and clear to say about the last four years....

[G_j]

15. I heard her say on Democracy Now

that the WH press folks have known all along who the Plame leaker is.

[indigobusiness]

16. Of course they do...

but I'm glad she said it.

[Justice]

7. God Bless Helen Thomas

a reporter to the very end.

[Cat Atomic]

8. The only REAL journalist in Washington, and the Bush team

sticks here in the back of the room and ignores her.

That says a hell of alot.

[against all enemies]

9. The press won't cover this one either. Whores.

[JPace]

10. When President Kerry is in the White House.....

He will return Helen to the front row during
press conferences. It is her right by seniority
and respect for a dedicated long term reporter
such as she. I hope they make a big fuss of it
when it happens and it gets national press.

[donhakman]

13. Pic of Helen

[calimary]

14. Helen Thomas called it, VERY early in the bush game - declaring him

the worst president in our history. And that was at least a couple of years ago, if not longer.

She got shoved to the back of the room for asking too many "uppity" questions, and then kept there and not called upon. A MAJOR public humiliation. As Dean of the White House Press Corps (or is that White House Press CORPSE?), she held a seat in the front row, along the center aisle, when they had one. Or else it'd be front row, center, literally. By tradition, she always asked the opening question of every presidential news conference, and she formally brought it to an end by saying "Thank you, Mr. President." That was a LONGSTANDING tradition. Until these creeps came along.

And frankly, I don't know what's worse, this White House smackdown of Helen Thomas - in and of itself, OR the fact that NONE, NOT ONE, NOT A SINGLE SOUL among her colleagues in that same White House Press CORPSE, complained about it, or raised hell, or espressed outrage, or stood up for her in ANY way. NONE.

By the way, "White House Press Corpse" is a great one, 'eh? Credit DUer LittleApple81.

By the way, part two - Helen Thomas answers her emails. At least - the nice ones. I've received several response from her, after sending her a thank-you or an atta-girl for something she's said or written. She commented that she gets some HORRIFIC hate mail. I guess that's from the "compassionate conservative" contingent, 'eh? If you want to drop her a note and thank her for her courage and wisdom, and for having the only cojones in the bunch, her email is
[e-mail].