BREAKING-Helen Thomas to Retire

[jenmito]

From MSNBC just now.

[hlthe2b]

1. Ohhhhhhhh

Damn.. I don't want her to go out this way. I really don't.

[jenmito]

3. Neither do I.

I feel bad for her.

[elocs]

2. Not surprising. It's just too bad that she will be remembered for those last words. n/t

[avaistheone1]

5. She will be remembered for a lot more than that.

AIPAC will surely be remembered as a bunch of a**holes though.

[avaistheone1]

8. .

[avaistheone1]

11. .

[elocs]

10. Certainly, but that last editorial comment will leave a lasting mark.

Not everyone is as familiar with Helen Thomas as we are here.

[vaberella]

23. Not really...I think most people who have come to know of her because of Obama.

Since it's in relation to him that many of my circle has come to know of her (outside of politics circle) know her for those final words.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Damn. NOT good, not this way...

[flpoljunkie]

6. Israel's Netanyahu needs needs to show the same courage as Helen and end the Gaza blockade

[jenmito]

9. I wish he would, but it seems impossible, judging by his attitude on building settlements. n/t

[flpoljunkie]

13. Israel's occupation of Palestine helps no one--not Israelis, not Palestinians, and not the U.S.

Sadly, Israel is its own worst enemy. And, unless the people of Israel, decide they want peace, which would require an end to the occupation, it will never happen. The United States must prod them to move forward--for their sake and ours.

[flpoljunkie]

16. Haaretz: Kadima's Tzipi Livni has submitted a motion of no-confidence in Netanyahu's government

Kadima leader Livni: Israel can save itself from global isolation

Netanyahu: Opposition needs to stand by coalition when Israel under fire; PM demands 'restraint and responsibility'. says 'next flotilla is on the horizon.

By Mazal Mualem

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni on Monday submitted a motion of no-confidence motion in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government regarding the botched Israel Defense Forces raid on the Gaza flotilla last week, claiming that Israel could have avoided the international isolation which it now faced.

In presenting the motion, the Kadima chairwoman accused the government of destroying Israel's stance in the world and in effect, its security in the Middle East.

"We have full faith in the State of Israel, in its values and in its citizens. But the current government of Israel is not representing the state to the world," said Livni. "This government needs to understand… either a Palestinian state on our conditions, or a Hamastan that results from inaction and failure."

The opposition leader presented the motion herself under the headline "The attempt of government officials to evade responsibility and direct criticism on Gaza flotilla toward IDF soldiers."

"Israel is facing a difficult time right now, perhaps the most difficult in our history," Livni said. "This is not just a temporary event that will pass. This is a continuous process under which Israel is becoming isolated from the world."

"International isolation carried with it difficult implications on Israel's stance in the region, this difficult neighborhood in which we live."

"Israel's power of deterrence is based, of course, on the power of the Israel Defense Forces, but also – and principally – on its relationship with the United States," she said.

more...

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/kadima-leader-livni-israel-can-save-itself-from-global-isolation-1.294704

[jenmito]

17. I agree...

it IS sad because it seems like Israel has been showing disrespect to AMERICA in the form of continuing its building of settlements against the wishes of Obama's administration. That is NOT helpful to anone.

[Inuca]

7. Sad

to have her career end this way, truly sad. But what she said was beyond the pale.

[avaistheone1]

12. This is a big loss for the American people.

Who the hell is going to take Helen's place in that room? There is absolutely no one is up to the task.

:grr: :grr: :grr:


Fuck AIPAC.

[DrToast]

14. A sad ending to her career.

Even if what she said was wrong.

[vaberella]

24. Agreed. n/t

[LoKnLoD]

15. Well now

Well now no one will be asking them when the hell we are getting out of these foreign wars.

[flpoljunkie]

18. Tragically, you are right.

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. And whose fault is that? (nt)

[Cha]

29. President Obama will tell us himself when it's going

to happen. All she did over the months was call him a "coward"..that "he equaled the gop", etc, and the last time she ask him when we were getting out of Afghanistan she said "and don't give us that "bushism"...".

Imv, she hurt her cause.

[zulchzulu]

19. She should focus on a book on these last years

It's sad that she couldn't comment (I'd say she was at least a bit correct) on the tragedy in Israel without having to be shown the door.

She's got a few more years in her to write a book on what the media has become. I'd think she has quite a bit to say about the 24/7 news and how journalism is more about being a puppet who runs scared.

Good luck, Helen!

[LibDemAlways]

25. She was the only member of the WH press corps who stood up

to Bush, the only true reporter among a bunch of media whores.

I hope she writes one hell of a tell all, naming names and taking no prisoners. What a great read that would be.

So sorry her career ended this way. Unfortunately the powers that be in Washington and in the corporate media refuse to have a legitimate debate about Israeli policy and actions, preferring to play the "anti-Semitic" card every time. It's a shame.

[Kdillard]

21. That is too bad but not unexpected.

[vaberella]

22. It's on Huffpost too. Reitre = Fired! n/t

[Jennicut]

26. What said she said was wrong, but she did apologize.

I don't think retiring was necessary. What 89 year olds are still reporters? I think she was amazing at times. It is just too bad it had to be this way.

[warrior1]

27. Damn it

So what, they're afraid of a 90 year old woman. Pitiful.

[proteus_lives]

28. Good riddance.

[bigwillq]

30. Thank you for your service, Helen.

:thumbsup:

[Boudica the Lyoness]

31. We should be ashamed.

She was one of the best people in this country and she's not allowed to have an opinion if it doesn't conform with what the majority want or believe. Please tell me why I'm wrong if you think I am, because I'm not understanding this at all. What am I missing here?

[flpoljunkie]

32. Helen did not say get out of Israel, but 'get the hell out of Palestine.' There is a difference.

One the media doesn't seem to notice. The Israeli's illegal occupation of Palestine is brutal, yet many give Israel a pass--no matter what they do. Good for Tzipi Livni for calling for a vote of no confidence in Netanyahu's government.

Israel's continued occupation of Palestine helps no one--not the Israelis, not the Palestinians, and not the United States. It is time to move forward on the peace process.

[CTLawGuy]

33. and go back to Germany,

Poland... How do you explain that?

[flpoljunkie]

36. You conveniently left out, '...And, America and wherever you came from.'

Israel's brutal occupation of Palestine is illegal. Again, Helen said 'Palestine, not Israel.'

Israel is its own worst enemy.

[CTLawGuy]

35. She's allowed to have an opinion

but we are also allowed not to approve of it. What she said was not a criticism of the government of Israel, it was that the Jews (different group) should be forced to leave the place where most of them were born and lived their whole life and go back to Germany, Poland, America or wherever they "came from". That's equivalent to telling blacks, 99% of whom were born in America, to go "back" to Africa.

What she said was a slur against an entire ethnic group and/or religious group, it was not legitimate criticism of the actions of a government. It couldn't have been. What sense would it make to say that the government of Israel should go back to Germany? That kind of bigotry is not supposed to be tolerated on the left.

[treestar]

34. At age 89

That's the latest retirement I've ever heard of!