Someone We'll Miss

Helen Thomas, who had been United Press International's White House correspondent for 40 some-odd years, retired this week and we're all going to miss her.

The president's press secretary Joe Lockhart was right when he said it just won't seem like the press room without Helen Thomas sitting there.

The best part about Helen was that presidents came and presidents went, but they never scared her.

She treated them with polite respect, but no matter how they treated her she just kept asking questions - which is what reporters are supposed to do.

The worst mistake government officials could make with was to try to "big deal" her, because they all looked alike to Helen.

My favorite memory of Helen was the time Henry Kissinger walked into the press room and said he couldn't really explain what he needed to say in the 20 minutes that had been allotted to him. To which Helen piped up, "Just start at the end."

Even the old professor got a chuckle out of that one.