Helen Thomas: From Pioneer to White House Irritant

CBS/ AP

The first time I ever rode in a presidential motorcade, I sat behind Helen Thomas in the back seat of the vehicle designated "WIRE 2."

It was 1976, and President Gerald Ford was in San Francisco on his way to the Palace of Fine Arts Theater for a camera and mike check a few hours before the second presidential debate of the campaign.

As lead reporter for United Press International, Thomas occupied the front passenger seat of that car by right and tradition. Her competition from the Associated Press, Frank Cormier, had his own car phone in the front seat of "WIRE 1."

Those were the days before cell phones, but each of the press vehicles in the presidential motorcade had old-style car phones. I watched with fascination as she dialed up her office and gave one of the editors on her news desk a play-by-play of the motorcade route.

It was protective coverage to insure there would be no delay in reporting any incident involving the president, as happened in that motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

"We're here. Call you back, "Thomas shouted into the phone as the motorcade pulled up to the debate site. Thomas virtually flew out of the car to get as close to the president as she could.

She was a pioneer as a woman covering the White House and had much to teach young reporters like myself.

But in her later years, after leaving the hard news environment of UPI and becoming a columnist for Hearst, Thomas made no pretense at objective reporting. Her questions at White House briefings and press conferences often reflected her political opinions and agenda - much to the irritation of the press secretaries and even presidents she covered.

AP

During the presidency of George W. Bush, Thomas made no effort to conceal her views that the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were wrong-headed policies. Her questions also conveyed her view that U.S. support for and alliance with Israel was ill-conceived.

As UPI's lead reporter, Thomas was entitled to ask the first or second question at every presidential news conference. As a columnist, Thomas lost that privilege and during the presidency of George W. Bush, he rarely called on her.

She was deemed by the Bush White House to be unabashedly biased against Mr. Bush and his policies and it was felt her questions reflected that. Occasionally, White House officials would publicly tell Thomas she was out of line.

During a heated exchange on November 30, 2007, White House press secretary Dana Perino got decidedly fed up with Thomas when one of her questions suggested the president was oblivious to the deaths of innocent people in Iraq.

"Helen, I find it really unfortunate that you use your front row position, bestowed upon you by your colleagues, to make such statements," scolded Perino.

She told Thomas that "to suggest that we, the United States, are killing innocent people is just absurd and very offensive."

But Thomas, then 86-years old, didn't back down:

THOMAS: Do you know how many we have (killed) since the start of this war?

MS. PERINO: How many -- we are going after the enemy, Helen. To the extent that any innocent Iraqis have been killed, we have expressed regret for it.

THOMAS: Oh, regret? It doesn't bring back a life.

MS. PERINO: Helen, we are in a war zone, and our military works extremely hard to make sure that everyone has the opportunity for liberty and freedom and democracy, and that is exactly what they are doing.

That was all Perino was going to take. She cut Thomas off and moved on to another reporter.

In some political circles, Thomas found herself applauded for challenging the president and his policies more bluntly than others in the White House briefing room. She also found herself denounced by those who backed President Bush.

On Mideast issues, Thomas was also not shy about taking a hard-line against Israel and the support it received from the U.S. Her questions reflected a pro-Arab view

It was her statement last week that Israelis should get "the hell out of Palestine" and go "home" to Poland, Germany or the U.S. that triggered a firestorm of condemnations.

The response was so intense it led to Thomas announcing her retirement from journalism.

But knowing Thomas, it's easy to believe the retirement might be short-lived.

Helen Thomas Retires in the Wake of Uproar
A Sad Conclusion to a Great Career by Dean Reynolds
White House: Helen Thomas' Remarks "Offensive and Reprehensible"
Watch White House Spokesman's Response to Thomas
Helen Thomas Under Fire for Remarks on Jews, Israel

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Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/markknoller.

[thecarmesh]

Oh well , these comments will only remain comments; as most people realise now only Israel supporters have a voice in the American media and politics. Any other voice will be shut down and slammed.

[ojibwawife]

You are completely right. There has been only a show of support for Israel allowed in the media by this country, no matter what Israel does or has done. If Helen Thomas spoke out with frustration over the inability of Israel to make peace and at times an inability to even TRY to make peace, she speaks for millions of us, who are sick of their single mindedness and openly terrorist activities, in the name of "defending" themselves. This last action, the commando attack on a civilian aid ship was the last straw for me personally. I have supported Israel's right to exist and still do, but not at the expense of obliterating another country. Palestinians also have a right to exist and I support that equally. Israel has become the bully on the block and the recent YouTube video their government employees made, making fun of the people on the ship who died was just SICK. If that's how they feel about taking innocent lives, I say they no longer have their moral standing in the World Community.

[neilfromnj]

What is so inappropriate about Helen Thomas's comments? Anyone that says anything as an independent thinker is chastised because it is not politically correct. Her opinion is one that is shared by many and it is unfair to label everyone as an anti-Semite. Jews of European ancestry have no ties to the Middle East. They may or may not share some genetic connection, but such a connection is minimal. Jews from Europe have more in common with non-Jewish Europeans. For Germans, Polish, Russians and others to claim a birth right to Palestinian lands and forcefully tear down native homes to build settlements is immoral and unjust. Their fellow Europeans persecuted the Jewish people. Why should the inhabitants of a foreign country (Palestine) suffer as a result? If the Holocaust never happened, Jews would be living in Europe now. Only as a result of Nazi Germany has there been a mass exodus.

You can?t tear down my house to build your house and then ask me for peace and label me a terrorist when I don?t accept the terms, that?s nonsensical. We all agree that what has happened historically to the native American is unjust, but we support the same colonialism in the Middle East. Many Israeli supporters argue that they have a divine right to certain lands occupied by non-believers.

Helen Thomas said what a majority of us non-Muslims and non-Jews think. When has free speech been a crime?

[TexasTurkey123]

What all this is about is the Jewish ability and willingness to crush anyone who speaks out for the people they rule--if you're in the US news business you toe their line or get your butt kicked

[Ami0_Ami0_Ami0]

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too.

Currently everyone on planet earth, while not agreeing necessarily, at least understands what she is saying;

except the American media, who's condemnation and intolerance of such a statement makes it clear that objective reporting on the subject area that she referenced in her remarks, will not be available in the near future in the American Press.

[soap-suds]

Well, I guess the press is relieved: back to typically non-answers to typically non-questions without Helen around. I wonder what is the definition of journalism these days? Did she make her opinion known in a professional capacity? Do we believe that no one else has personal opinions? Why do so many think they have to extrapolate and tell us what she really meant, versus what she really said: she has demonstrated a command of the language for more years than many have even lived? I believe this is just more present-day Internet nonsense!

[justsane-2009]

nicely said. i'm a bit curious as to where the video footage is of the other responses the the interviewer's questions. you clearly hear him say that he's asking everyone that question; where are those responses?

[Ami0_Ami0_Ami0]

Who (who or what is the source) that has said that she was influenced to resign, and that said influence came from the White House?

Was there a statement made by the White House? Or is this just something started by some unknown source that has been generally circulated?

I find it difficult to believe that such a retirement, for the reasons circulating in the media and elsewhere actually occurred; further that mentions of a forced retirement (or some similar 'reaction') such as has been circulated, wouldn't occur...

So what's the truth here?

[karek40]

You get as ugly as this woman has gotten and you will get bitter and become a bigot also. She needs to make an appointment with Dr. Korvorican.

[Foxfire55]

I guess The White House does not support the First Amendment.

[RatPackSixGun]

The first amendment allowed her to say what she said with impunity from government action against her (eg, jailing "political dissidents"). In no way has the first amendment ever impinged on the right of the general public community and in most cases an employer to react appropriately. This is what happened here.

[markamichaud]

She says the truth! Good for her!

[Leaderless]

helen said what she believes in her ignorant mind.
The kkk say that they're "superior" but that doesn't means it's the truth!

[Cassarit]

I think she was pressured to resign by the WH because if she hadn't, Obama would have had to renmove her in order to appease the Jews, and that would have made it much harder for him to work with the other side.

So as it stands today, defending the right of the indigenous people of Palestine makes you an embitteed deranged bigot who has to be removed from her job!

[TruthSeeker5611]

Cassarit, you're moving the target: It's the essentially her invitation for Jews to get exterminated. By the way, the indigenous people go back thousands of years. And , ahem, Jews were among them. And for Jews that did live in the area prior to Israel's founding, indigenous folks here, they were regularly attacked by Arabs,.

[memphispiano]

One can defend the Palestinians without making a bigoted attack on the Jew but Helen Thoman's comments do not qualify. If you do not think her comments grossly crossed the line, then you are apparently as bigoted as she is.