I couldn’t stand that crone for a long time. I remember Obama’s very first press conference as president, where she asked the following...
Was that supposed to be an example of ‘not being afraid to ask the tough questions’? It’s more like the college freshman who just discovered Howard Zinn.
I couldn’t care who the ‘dean of the White House press corps’ is — if I was the president, I would have pushed back. Obama should have said,
“Helen, you indicate by your use of ‘quote unquote’, that you feel that the term ‘terrorist’ is not the appropriate term. I’d be happy to explain why I think that’s the right label for the people in Waziristan sheltering Al-Qaeda, but what term would you use?
And as to your question about countries in the Middle East with nuclear weapons – you obviously want me to mention that Israel is widely believed to have them, and therefor, perhaps there is some kind of equivalence with Iran. Now as you know Helen, Israel, unlike Iran, is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and thus has no obligations under it, and Israel is a democracy and an ally of the United States, so what exactly is the point you are looking to make?”
I agree with David Frum. Thomas’s role of ‘crank’, actually did the cause of journalism a real disservice. There are a million, truly tough questions to ask this, or any administration — but by calling on the batty old lady who could be reliably counted on to ask easily-dismissed questions, all she did was help the person behind the podium run out the clock.
Shame on the rest of the press for showing her deference, but they are used to bending over. As Stephen Colbert said, at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner:
“But, listen, let’s review the rules. Here’s how it works. The President makes decisions. He’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put ‘em through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration? You know, fiction!”
Thomas can console herself with Hezbollah’s praise:
“Respected American journalist Helen Thomas’s answer shows ... a courageous, bold, honest and free opinion which expresses what people across the globe believe: that Israel is a racist state of murderers and thugs.”
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