Update: Helen Thomas to lose front row seat in new White House press room
posted at 9:23 pm on February 21, 2007 by Ian
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So reports The Politico:
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.”
Trying something new after drinking kool-aid for all these years.
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Hah. The final comment is classic Ian. I like it.
zerodamage on February 21, 2007 at 9:30 PM
The NYT will file an Americans With Disability Act lawsuit and Thomas will get the whole front row just so she can put her feet up. Hezbolla can’t be excluded from the front row.
Limerick on February 21, 2007 at 9:31 PM
Hemlock kool-aid? Mmmm.
MarkM on February 21, 2007 at 9:36 PM
” I’ve had a good run in the front seat.”
I would disinfect that thing big time.
bbz123 on February 21, 2007 at 9:36 PM
Say, Helen, when did you stop beating your husband?
shaken on February 21, 2007 at 9:38 PM
If that really was her reaction, then I give her credit for being classy about it.
Labamigo on February 21, 2007 at 9:39 PM
She is a scary, scary woman. I hear she’s coming to speak on my campus sometime in April. Honestly, she is a scary, scary woman.
Plus, I thought this comment at the story was great:
Oh, how I love Tony Snow.
tiekitwist on February 21, 2007 at 9:40 PM
They are sending her to be in the rear wheelchair?
EnochCain on February 21, 2007 at 9:42 PM
Its the Christofascist godbags oppressin’ the womyn.
Iblis on February 21, 2007 at 9:42 PM
Drink some bacon grease, gasbag.
SouthernGent on February 21, 2007 at 9:44 PM
I think that’s a bit of a mistake myself. Helen at this point in her career basically exists to allow Tony Snow to score points off her incredibly loaded/biased questions. Since she makes his responses look so good, why move her now?
Ed Driscoll on February 21, 2007 at 9:45 PM
The thing is, Thomas was around to report it when Socrates drank the hemlock.
Bob Owens on February 21, 2007 at 9:52 PM
THERE IS A GOD!
Ya gotta give me this one AP.
Her drink?..It will be spiked kool-aid.
shooter on February 21, 2007 at 9:58 PM
Heh.
EnochCain on February 21, 2007 at 10:02 PM
It’s a sad ignorant world that continues to believe the woman should even still be in the room. Washington’s need to require a mandatory retirement age is unmatched on planet earth.
Griz on February 21, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Had the same thought. The White House could take care of the issue by continuing to take her questions (from the 2nd row) so that their decision doesn’t come across as too callous or too calculated. (By the same token that might even lend credibility to their decision in the long run.) But only time will tell how they play this out – it’s really up to them to make it work, and they can easily screw it up.
RD on February 21, 2007 at 10:10 PM
…and giving Tony the opening for so many interceptions of the ball :-)
RD on February 21, 2007 at 10:14 PM
heh — bacon drinking bacon
Janos Hunyadi on February 21, 2007 at 10:23 PM
Admit it – she was only eye candy
uptight on February 21, 2007 at 10:34 PM
And here I thought the first row seat was her burial plot too.
lorien1973 on February 21, 2007 at 10:35 PM
Ever read a fart?
Here’s Helen’s…… don’t let years of UN resolutions, multiple votes in congress, endless pontificating, etc., etc., and you’re telling me the press hasn’t been asking questions and pushing their agenda……..?
Pllleeeeaaasssssssseeeeee!
Where’s my bucket…….
PinkyBigglesworth on February 21, 2007 at 10:45 PM
It has been a wasted seat for the past 20 + years. This gasbag needs a place to lay down and die!
NEMETI IN SYRACUSE on February 21, 2007 at 10:46 PM
Helen knew the Dead Sea when is was ONLY sick!
Jarhead on February 21, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Suddenly it doesn’t smell quite so strongly of troll in the front row.
Benaiah on February 21, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Turkey, with fixins.
fogw on February 21, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Eh, not sure about the mandatory AGE requirement, but a current events test requirement would be nice.
SouthernGent on February 21, 2007 at 10:57 PM
Speaking of changing positions in the media, the lovely Kiran Chetry has gone over to the dark side.
forged rite on February 21, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Didn’t Ms. Thomas lose her front seat temporarily a few years back, for her foul-mouthed tirade of questions at one press conference? All I can remember (and I laughed so hard) was the cameras pointing out a small-framed Thomas waayyy in the back looking at her notes.
But this “courtesy” for her front-row seat is past it’s prime…she should consider herself lucky to even be there…
JetBoy on February 21, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Here’s a picture of Kiran in case you can’t put a face to the name.
forged rite on February 21, 2007 at 11:17 PM
I sincerely doubt class has anything to do with this old seahags actions. More than likely her “colleagues” told her what the deal is going to be, and she acquiesced so as to assure fawning articles after she’s pushing up daisies.
As for making room “for a cable news channel”, I doubt she would have given up so easily if it would be Fox.
Fun to imagine the bulging veins though if it were.
91Veteran on February 21, 2007 at 11:50 PM
forged rite on February 21, 2007 at 11:13 PM
I’m in mourning. I’ve actually found myself tempted to turn to CNN.
Griz on February 22, 2007 at 12:09 AM
I remember this too, but I believe it was due to her retiring (being let go?) from whatever rag she was writing for. She continued in some other capacity, but only writing like an opinion column or something.
It sure as hell wasn’t her beauty secrets.
Her old shriveled a$$ got leveraged out of the chair since she had no press credentials, but was then either given credentials by some organization that felt sorry for her, or given a pass from the “rules”.
91Veteran on February 22, 2007 at 12:12 AM
Thomas and O’Donnell both have the qualities needed for a memorable Icon of the Left, and a Troll that one would wish only on enemy.
Two candidates for the 72 virgins in the Sky, well maybe not virgins, but they would fit right in otherwise. Painting this picture would give any Islamofacist reason to pause.
omegaram on February 22, 2007 at 12:14 AM
That sucks about Kiran Chetry going over to CNN. She was the only reason to watch that dreadful morning show on FNC. I can’t stand the O’Briens on CNN either so I guess I will just have to go back(way back) to watching Sesame Street. To bad Electric Company isn’t around anymore.
About Helen Thomas: Who cares.
Sammy316 on February 22, 2007 at 12:24 AM
PM
I thought CNN only hired The Fat, The Bad, & The Ugly
Candy Crowley and that Medusa with the glasses–either one makes me start away from the tube….
Janos Hunyadi on February 22, 2007 at 12:47 AM
It is too little, too late.
Ms. Thomas should have her credentials pulled along with Gregory.
georgej on February 22, 2007 at 1:17 AM
My friend Randy, you have my ‘condolences’.
Ms. Thomas doesn’t drink kool-aid – she drinks pure spleen.
Entelechy on February 22, 2007 at 2:01 AM
Please, having Kiran Chetry and Helen Thomas in the same blog/thought/fantasy (did I say that?) AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!!!!
I can not feel my genitals anymore, or think rationally, …..
“Kiran, can you tell me a bedtime story…. in your old pajamas with the “skid mark” on the back side?”
“Welcome, to CNN……..!”
PinkyBigglesworth on February 22, 2007 at 2:24 AM
It’s about time. Helen Thomas has been in that same seat since the Hayes administration.
JG2K6 on February 22, 2007 at 5:14 AM
Kiran’s ‘agent’ was the cause of her being dumped from FNC…the arrogant putz tried to hold up Roger Ailes…wrong move Kiran, hated to see you go but you really need a new agent.
DoctorDentons on February 22, 2007 at 8:16 AM
She was speaking figuratively, right?
vcferlita on February 22, 2007 at 9:03 AM
WWaaaaah…..
**sniffsniff**
**YAaaawn**
seejanemom on February 22, 2007 at 9:18 AM
Actually, vcferlita,
she certainly wasn’t for real…because the old bag already PROMISED US SHE’D KILL HERSELF if Bush got elected the second time…
Remember that???
Am I the only one who remembers that?
seejanemom on February 22, 2007 at 9:20 AM
Damn straight she had a monopoly. But for what rational reason?
The White House Press Corps has morphed into an organism that fawns on itself. They aren’t there to report and disseminate information to the American people. More time is spent on the reporters than the news being given to them. They’ve made themselves irrelevent to “news” so they spend their time jocking for positions in order to out-do the next guy’s “gotcha” question. Give them all chairs on the lawn and bring in people who have genuine questions and will report the information, sans their own faces stuffed into the picture.
naliaka on February 22, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Personally, I’d burn it and get a new one, but that’s just me.
I might be mistaken, but I don’t think the hemlock thing was all that classy.
Moving on, I feel compelled to say damn you FNC! Kiran was one of the best things they had going for them. I’m very dissapointed, in both of them.
Wolfman on February 22, 2007 at 11:05 AM
If dirt had age…she’d be older…and about as smart…
areseaoh on February 22, 2007 at 11:42 AM
What a brave bunch at the White House. Taking out an 86 year old woman. Well, I guess that’s about all the juice they have left. Pitiful.
honora on February 22, 2007 at 11:52 AM
Her own ate her. Wish they’d do a more complete job and finish her off, but she’ll be reinstalled unless her dear collegues come up with a more permanent ploy.
naliaka on February 22, 2007 at 12:07 PM
HA, HA, HA-yes, she was eaten by her own. Wish Gregory would lose his pass as well.
Catie96706 on February 22, 2007 at 12:24 PM
I can’t believe Kiran left for CNN!!!! Why would she do that? Why? Why? And why would CNN hire good looking smart women??
That’s horrible, and means I’ll never see her again.
Though…..does this now make her Drrty Kiran….??
Darksean on February 22, 2007 at 1:27 PM
The only thing I find pitiful is your lame attack on Bush by insisting that, somehow, the White House took her out. As others have pointed out, she was taken out by her own.
RedinBlueCounty on February 22, 2007 at 4:27 PM
Where is the next Helen Thomas coming from?
News2Use on February 22, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Ah Ha! – Nelson
- The Cat
MirCat on February 22, 2007 at 9:56 PM
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