Ladies and gentlemen, Helen Thomas.

[WilliamPitt]

By way of Dan Froomkin's daily must-read blog on the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2008/03/21/BL2008032101852_4.html

===

I wrote in yesterday's column about Cheney's response to an interviewer's observation that Americans overwhelmingly oppose the war in Iraq.

Said Cheney: "So?"

The White House press corps got into the spirit of the occasion at yesterday's briefing with Dana Perino.

Perino: "It's one of those days I have nothing to start with."

Q: "So? (Laughter.)"

Perino later tried to explain that the president and the vice president act on principle and not based on public opinion. That led to a classic exchange with Hearst columnist Helen Thomas:

Thomas: "The American people are being asked to die and pay for this. And you're saying they have no say in this war?"

Perino: "No, I didn't say that Helen. But Helen, this president was elected --"

Thomas: "Well, what it amounts to is you saying we have no input at all."

Perino: "You had input. The American people have input every four years, and that's the way our system is set up. . . . "

Thomas: "Supposed to be a government for the people, of the people, by the people?"

Perino: "I would submit to you that people across America, if asked what type of a President do you want: one that stands on principle or that one that chases polls? And I think that they would want --"

Thomas: "What's the principle of going to war against the people who did nothing to us?"

:hug: :toast: :patriot:

[snappyturtle]

1. What a patriot Helen is! K&R

:woohoo: Love it when she stands up to the mouth pieces!

[ShadesOfGrey]

2. I LOVE you helen!

:loveya: :loveya:

[Vilis Veritas]

3. Helen Thomas will go down in history as a Great American.

I love her...

Peace and thanks for this, Will...

[Hissyspit]

4. Somebody should send that lady some roses!

[wryter2000]

14. Thanks for the pictures

That was a great day.

[lildreamer316]

30. Hell, I think we need to do it again.

I mean,really.

[stlsaxman]

48. I'll chip in! I brought her a dozen roses when she was keynote speaker at the

ACLU 2006 Bill Of Rights Celebration here in Saint Louis.

let me know where to send my donation...

[Triana]

5. I adores me some Ms. Helen Thomas!

She is one of the greatest Americans alive. Hugs to Helen! :hug:

[asdjrocky]

6. I love Helen

And I would have her news babies if I could. They just don't make em like her anymore.

[Kittycat]

7. I love Helen Thomas.

Sad that she's about the only one in that room strong enough to stand up to them.

[L. Coyote]

23. Indeed. Imagine the room without her! No opposing voice is far worse than one.

[Echo In Light]

32. :)

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

8. Helen Thomas: A Great American

And a great journalist. One of the last of a dying breed, sadly.

[monmouth]

9. I love Helen. Can you imagine being a child of hers and you attempt

to give some lame excuse 'cause you're not home on time? Oh lordy, she's not a lady to try and dump some BS on. Go Helen!

[bdamomma]

10. I read this response from Dana Perino

and I was livid, we already had our input??? is she fucking crazy or something, NOW, between Cheney's response and Dana's response is it Pitchforks and torches time yet, these SOB's do not care what we think.

Thank god for Helen Thomas did anyone else follow up with Dana's response??? This is pure arrogance towards the American people, aren't we tired of being treated as dirt?

[colorado_ufo]

38. It is so embarrassing that she is from Denver.

Hey Dana - do you know what they call women who sell themselves?

[Auntie Bush]

65. According to Dana...we have a choice to crown a king or queen every 4 years..

once installed (no matter how they cheated) they become Dictators and their rule is sovern...can do anything they want no matter what the people or congress thinks.

[jeff30997]

11. " this president was elected "

Yeah,right! :grr:

[JerseygirlCT]

12. Can we get that woman a Congressional Medal of Honor or something?

She's wonderful!

[malaise]

13. A rose by any other name is still

Helen Thomas.
K & R

[Wizard777]

15. You gotta love that lady.

[bunny planet]

16. Maybe Lil' Dana has forgotten, or it's just over her head, with or without

taking the debacle of Ohio '04 into account, roughly 50% of these American people didn't vote for Bush or continuing this war, so their 'input' doesn't count at all. The Spokestwit continues to amaze me with her vapid responses.

[WilliamPitt]

17. Li'l bumb for Helen

Up with you.

[lonestarnot]

18. Helen!

:applause:

[Missy Vixen]

19. One of the greatest days of my life

was receiving a "thank you" e-mail from Helen Thomas in response to my complimentary (well, gushing,) e-mail to her.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a journalist. Truthfully, I'm not worthy to carry her notepad and pen for her. She (and Linda Ellerbee, and Molly Ivins, and a few more,) is the gold standard.

Julie

[SeattleGirl]

21. I got an email from her too, Julie.

I emailed her to wish her happy birthday, and she emailed me back to thank me. That was so sweet and kind of her.

And as to that exchange today, all I can say is, RIGHT ON, HELEN!!!! WE. THE. PEOPLE!!!!

[cyberpj]

44. I've emailed Helen twice and she answered me, and thanked me, each time.

I don't really like to use these words but she is one of a dying breed. Who will step up when all those like Helen Thomas and Dan Rather are gone? Of course, they gained their reputations when we actually had a free press. As we see, today they're simply ignored.

Sigh..............

[sellitman]

20. Here is a hard decision: Wether to nominate a Will Pitt post about Helen Thomas.

That like asking what I think about Sam Adams White Ale while I eat cheese goldfish.

[femrap]

22. Is there any chance that the French will

invade us...occupy us...make us eat good food and drink good wine. Have unions....a quality of life that is human, not robotic.

I beg that the French invade and occupy our country....send W and Shooter to the Hague.

I can dream, can't I?

Thank you, Helen for all that you do. A true fighter for Justice, Peace and Equality.

[colorado_ufo]

36. And, maybe we will live longer, too -

like they do. (Just hope they don't make us smoke!)

[femrap]

42. I forgot about the smoking....EEEEK! nt

[InsultComicDog]

24. So?

:evilgrin:

[bean fidhleir]

25. And she's an Arab, too (Lebanese ethnicity) (nt)

[treestar]

66. Aha, a terrorist! No wonder she is questioning the Chimperor!

:sarcasm:

[crimsonblue]

26. I hope this awesome battleaxe lives forever...

She is of the old breed of journalist.. you know the kind, the ones that cares only about reporting the facts... God Bless you, Helen!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

27. Standing OH YEAH for Helen!

:yourock: :loveya: :D

My dear Mr. Pitt. I trust you are well sir. :pals:

[Laughing Mirror]

28. Helen is only stating the truth

A rarity these days, for sure.

[laylah]

29. What a treasure!

Gooooooooooo Helen :hug:

[bklyncowgirl]

31. I hope that when the new Democratic President does his/her first press conference....

That Helen gets to ask the first question.

...and that she gives him/her hell.

[Kurovski]

33. Hot damn.

Wow. K&R.

[JimboDem]

34. Helen, Keeping It Real.

As always. Thanks!!!:yourock:

[ekwhite]

35. God, I love Helen Thomas

THAT is what a reporter is supposed to be like. :patriot:

[colorado_ufo]

37. What an awesome newswoman! What an awesome WOMAN!

Future generations must all know of this woman's patriotism. She is an inspiration.

[RoccoR5955]

39. Kudos to Ms. Thomas

:kick:
She is a true patriot!

[givemebackmycountry]

40. All you need to know about Helen is simply this...They HATE her...

That's right...They hate her!
How dare she ask the President such questions!
How dare she be so disrespectful to Dana Perino the White House Press secretary!
How dare her!

Yeah, right.



David Gregory ain't fit to wash Helen's stockings.

Sheeple - they hate anyone that doesn't stay in line.

And they call us "communists"...

What a great woman, what a treasure.
I love her.

[DirtyDawg]

41. Would have loved it...

...if Helen had followed up with a 'So your saying that if we discover in the midst of a four-year term we have 'elected' a nincompoop, we have no recourse other than to wait until the next time?'...and in response Perino would say, 'Helen, are you calling the President a nincompoop?' Helen: 'No, actually I'm calling you a nincompoop...I'm calling the President a criminally incompetent sociopath'.

Yeah, that's what I'd have loved.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

43. K n R

[PatSeg]

45. Perino was on the Daily Show recently

and she made a snarky reference to Helen, essentially inferring that Helen was full of shit. I was infuriated that the airhead could be so dismissive and disrespectful to a woman that embodies "principle".

In a few years, people won't even remember Perino's name. She'll just be that "blonde chick" who didn't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was. How pathetic.

[swimmernsecretsea]

46. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Helen.

What would we do without you. God help us all.

[juajen]

47. How refreshing, Will. Something we can all agree on.

Helen Thomas, what a wonderful woman!

[Maestro]

49. Excellent read

And way to go Helen!

[defendandprotect]

50. Thomas: "What's the principle of going to war against the people who did nothing to us?"

Thanks, Helen --- !!!

[mhoran]

51. Such a commentary on the sorry state of the MSM...

...that Helen stands out so dramatically for simply doing her job the way it's supposed to be done. Thankfully we have at least one journalist in the room with integrity.

[Summer93]

52. Helen speaks and

my respect for her grows.

Again and again she asks questions to reveal the truth - that is why they can't/won't answer her questions.

[blayne]

53. Every 2 years!

As has been pointed out before, the 2006 elections were a referendum on the Iraq war, and it was largely seen as the American people saying we have had enough of everything Bush. Unfortunately that referendum was ignored. I guess he was going on principle according to Perino. If only his principles were remotely similar to a slightly intelligent life form.

This was pointed out in another blog, but I couldn't retrace my tracks to find the link. Sorry.

[BlueJessamine]

54. If only more journalist

were like her...

[emilyg]

55. Love Helen!!!

[aasleka]

56. She would have made a helluva President, new fantasy-Obama Thomas 08

[NickMorgan]

57. outstanding nt

[jwirr]

58. She is one of the most beautiful people I know. Thank you Helen.

[Divine Discontent]

59. K&R for Helen! ty for posting EOM

[Baby Snooks]

60. The last of the great journalists...

Helen Thomas is the last of the great journalists who were always willing to be politically incorrect in order to maintain the correct integrity as both a journalist and a citizen.

The majority of our journalists are merely flacks for whomever their editor and/or publisher is in bed with politically.

Quite a few stories have been born by Helen Thomas sitting in the White House press room asking the right questions. Sadly, no more.

[ladywnch]

61. *SHE * should receive the Congressional Medal of Freedom

even though it has been so diminished by chucklenuts' use of it for criminals and cronies, I still think she has earned it!!!!!

Go Helen....give 'em hell!!!!

[ladywnch]

62. Perino was on The Daily Show not long ago and when Jon asked her

if she was ever scared she said no and whispered except for Helen. Of course Helen scares her. Perino is used to dealing people of her own low IQ. Helen is a thousand times smarter than anyone she has to deal with on a daily basis. I'm sure Helen scares the shit out of her.

[Pisces]

63. Helen is last of a dying breed, a true journalist

[DFW]

64. Helen never intends to be politically incorrect, just journalistically correct

And she is, every time. I've known her for some 40 years. She was a close colleague of
my father's (also one of the last true print journalists), and remains a friend of mine.
She just does her job. You'll never hear her true opinions on Cheneybush at these press
conferences, professional that she is. She's too good for that. She saves those for after hours.

It's pitiful that the heads of our government are scared shitless of an 88 year old (this
year) five foot tall woman.

As Bean Fidhlear pointed out, she is ethnically Lebanese, from the Detroit area originally.
Last time I was in DC for more than a day, she took me and my brother out to her favorite
Lebanese restaurant in Washington. If any of you live there or are visiting, you MUST try
this place. It's called Mama Ayesha's. You will not beLIEVE how good the food is at that place!

And if you're lucky, you'll see Helen dining at a nearby table with friends. If you're unlucky,
I'll be among them!

[lovuian]

67. Awesome

:patriot:

[navarth]

68. kick for Helen Thomas

she's on my journalistic Mount Rushmore along with Ed Murrow.

I will not verbalize what I think should happen to Dana Perino.

[Maureen1322]

69. I'd like to submit

Perino's head to a toilet and flush.