“Helen has been a columnist for about a decade now and her strong beliefs on the Middle East are well known,” said ABC News’ Ann Compton. “I think I saw that she regretted these remarks and realized they were hurtful and inappropriate. Ari Fleischer is a private citizen and certainly free to express his opinion that this was a firing offense even for an opinion columnist. I would agree with you that Helen enjoys a rather special status as the White House. But I think her employer will have to decide whether the comments went over the line.”
“This is disgusting stuff,” said one White House correspondent who knows both Thomas and Fleischer. “If anyone else said it, they would probably be fired. Ari has every right to be mad.”
Hearst, however, does not yet seem ready to part ways with Thomas. A spokesperson told POLITICO, “”We deeply regret Helen Thomas’ remarks, which in no way reflect the views of Hearst Newspapers or its employees. Helen has expressed her own profound regret over the incident.”
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