Helen Thomas Moving Back After 46 Years Down Front

[babylonsister]

So much for respecting your learned elders...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2847.html

Helen Thomas Moving Back After 46 Years Down Front

By: Mike Allen
February 20, 2007 04:47 PM EST


Every theater-style seat in the White House briefing room, now closed for renovation, had a brass plaque inscribed with the name of a news organization. Only one, in the middle of the front row, had a name: “HELEN THOMAS,” it said. The unique assigned seat between the chairs for CBS News and ABC News was reserved for the legendary United Press International correspondent who is now a columnist for Hearst Newspapers.

The press corps is scheduled to move from temporary facilities back into the spiffed-up, rewired briefing room in May or June. Thomas, who has been questioning presidents and press secretaries for 46 years, plans to be there. But her front-row seat won’t be. Plans call for her to be moved to the second row to make room for a cable news channel – a sign of Washington’s changing pecking order, and of the new ways that Americans get their news.

“I didn’t think I had a monopoly on that seat,” Thomas, 86, said in a telephone interview. “Since my peers have decided that I don’t belong there, I’ll bow to their – I’ll drink the – What did Socrates drink?”

Hemlock?

“I’ll drink it,” she said. “You have to submit to the will of the people, and apparently this is the will of my peers. It’s OK with me. I’ve had a good run in the front seat.”

Thomas has been at the front of the class ever since scribes just pulled their chairs up around the press secretary. Now, the assigned seats are coveted real estate – both as a sign of status and because the closer you sit to the front, the better your chance of getting called on – whether the person giving the briefing is Tony Snow or the president himself.

Thomas usually comes to the press secretary’s morning “gaggle” but does not always attend the afternoon briefing, so sometimes her seat is empty. It’s the only seat that traditionally is left vacant if unoccupied. Every other chair gets filled in by those without regular seats, whose questions do not always live up to Thomas’s zingers.

more...

[Horse with no Name]

1. With a country at war

And an economy in the dumper...why are funds being allocated to renovate a little-used room that won't make a difference?

[The Count]

3. Pig needs more lipstick , don'tcha know? Expensive lipstick! It's important

that we let people know that everything is A-OK....
I wouldn't be surprised if part of the reason for the entire rehaul was to move Helen from there.

[Kutjara]

2. Well of course Shrubbie doesn want a JOURNALIST...

...in the front row. Who knows what such a person is capable of asking? And she's an old woman, to boot. No eyecandy there. Much better to have a telegenic newsmodel in that position, who hasn't got the brains in his/her fluffy head to ask anything more taxing than "who made your suit?"

[hashibabba]

4. Snowjob and Bushie are scared.

:scared:

[Little Star]

5. Guess fundie parents don't

teach respect for your elders. Yeah, this admin. and their leader are real values folk!!! NOT

[itsmesgd]

6. ...what did they find another gay male escort that needed a seat?

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

7. That they are afraid of this sweet honest ol' Lady~

~Says Volumes from their side.

chickenshitmotherfuckers~

[mzteris]

8. if the other journalists have ANY class at all

They will refuse to sit in the seat and reserve it for her.

[tularetom]

9. Goddamn spineless "press" corps

It wasn't the chimp that did this or Tony Snowjob? It was the will of her peers? Don't those people have a backbone? This woman's little finger is more of a "journalist" than the whole cowardly bunch of 'em. Trying to suck up to the administration by kicking her out of her seat is about as low as you can go.

[blogslut]

10. Wait a minute

Wasn't Helen relegated to a rows back seat earlier during this present administration?

[MonkeyFunk]

13. She was moved to the back

for press conferences, not press briefings. Now she'll be in the back for all of 'em.

[blogslut]

18. ahh, thanks for the info

Maybe they can add further insult to Helen and seat her next to Les Kinsolving. Assholes.

[KoKo]

11. Well...it's time for her to "pass the torch" to the Young Turks...

Helen has had her day...time for her to move her old butt outta the way.

:sarcasm:

It's really the way it is...it's just that not many are as forthcoming in honesty as Mike Allen from the "Politco" the HOT NEW NEWSPAPER WEBSITE...funded by a BUSH BOT!

[AspenRose]

12. Bastards.

Petty bastards.

:mad:

[Greeby]

14. Assholes

:argh:

[Bluebear]

15. "this is the will of my peers' SHAME on them.

SHAME.

[onehandle]

16. Faux News and Male Prostitutes up front!

Republicans always come first.

[bdamomma]

17. they have no respect for a real journalist

[malaise]

19. Helen has more integrity than all of them

These punks respect no one.

[nickyt]

20. Any way to contact the "Washington Press Corps"? - a quick google reveals

no "formal" contact - ?

[nealmhughes]

21. Is she being demoted from being doyenne as well?

That is L-O-W.

[mitchum]

22. They are NOT her peers...

Helen is no shill, toady, whore or sycophant