Helen Thomas: you're only as good as your last story

**Mikeg** · June-08-10, 06:52 AM

Former Detroiter and Wayne State alum, Helen Thomas, ends White House career amid uproar.

The "vultures" are already circling to see which news organization gets her coveted seat in the front row of the White House Briefing Room, but the White House Correspondents Association [[WHCA) - which has served as her enabler and protector in recent years, says it's too soon to tell.
Attachment 6364
The WHCA quickly backpedaled to disassociate itself from her and her latest comments and will likely be revisiting the policy exception they made for her as an opinion columnists and non-member of the WHCA, to even sit in the Briefing Room, much less in a personally assigned, front-row center seat.

**Hermod** · June-08-10, 07:48 AM

Like Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder and Al Davis learned, one slip of the tongue and you are toast.

Retroit · June-08-10, 12:10 PM

I know I won't be popular for saying this, but I somewhat agree with Helen, as well as Iranian president Ahmadinejad and much of the rest of the Arab-Middle East-Islam world [[Helen is Lebanese). I think it was a mistake for the UN to set up Israel after WWII. The confinement of Jews into a designated area was as silly an idea after the war as it was when first proposed by the Nazis as a way of kicking the Jews out of Europe.

Unfortunately, it has gone on so long and so many Jews have been born in Israel since then that it has become unrealistic to kick them out now. Also, in an ironic twist, suggesting that Jews be kicked out of an area sounds a lot like what the Nazis tried to do.

For comparison sake, suppose the UN decided that Native Americans had a right to their own country and that every non-Native American in Michigan had to move out so our state could be given to them. I think most of us would have a problem with that. Maybe after a few generations, it might seem foolish to once again kick the Native Americans out to give Michigan back to the non-Native Americans, but it would be understandable that many Michiganders would prefer it be done.

**Detroitnerd** · June-08-10, 12:12 PM

Here's a good take on it from Gary Leupp, I think.

http://www.counterpunch.com/leupp06082010.html

"Any Better Comments?"

The Ambush of Helen Thomas

By GARY LEUPP
Outrage!
White House journalist Helen Thomas, covering a Jewish American Heritage Month celebration at the White House May 27, is accosted on the sidewalk by someone who asks: “Any comments about Israel? We’re asking everybody today---any comments about Israel?”
Smiling in grandmotherly fashion----the way an 89 year-old woman might do when suddenly approached by an 17 year old boy who seems sincerely interested in her thoughts---she replies: “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.”
“Oooh…” responds the questioner. “Any better comments?” [[A voice in the background: “Helen is fun!”)
“Hah hah hah,” laughs Helen. “ Remember these people are occupied, and it’s their land, not German, and not Poland.”
“So where should they go? What should they do?”
“They could go home. Poland. Germany.”
“Where’s home? You’re saying Jews should go back to Poland and Germany?”
“And America and everywhere else.”
A week later this video of the impromptu interview appears on “RabbiLIVE.com,” website of Rabbi David Nesenoff. [[Who by the way is this “live rabbi”? Who is this rabbi character who’s terminated the career of a Washington press icon? How many journalists are even asking?)
The clip begins and ends with strident musical accompaniment, and concludes with the caption: “Six million Jews were killed in Germany and Poland. Does Helen know that Jews have lived in Israel way before the Holocaust. How can Helen report unbiased?”
According to one report the questioner was Adam Nesenoff, David’s son. The latter supposedly “sat on the Thomas scoop” for a week while his “webmaster son” Adam took final exams.
“So we waited,” Rabbi Nesenoff told Yahoo News. “And of course, during the waiting of it, the flotilla happened.” Nesenoff doesn’t explain how the Israeli assault on the Gaza aid flotilla connects to Helen or the timing of the video release. But clearly it [[and perhaps Thomas’s comments about it?) influenced the timing of the video. And once it was online, the White House---which was not outraged at all by the murder of 9 aid workers by the “Israeli Defense Forces” last week---immediately condemned the journalist.
Nesenoff contacted her employer, Hearst Newspapers, telling them they had “to get rid of her.” They did.
Outrage! About what? A journalist is suddenly approached on the sidewalk by two high school students who say they’re asking everybody today if they have comments about Israel. [[Might I ask: Why did this happen in the first place? Was this for a school project? Are there other filmed interviews young Adam would like to share, to prove that he and his friend were really fact “asking everybody” and not just Helen?)

more at the link above ...

**gazhekwe** · June-08-10, 01:17 PM

I agree with Helen up to a point. A lot of people in 1946 agreed with her. As Israel has become internationally accepted, this point of view has sunk below the surface. I agree, the land was Palestine, and belonged to all its occupants, including the Jews who lived there at the time. The problem today is that ONLY the Jews have the right to be there, and they control everything, and oppress the other occupants. That is where I diverge from Helen's POV. I think the land now should belong equally to all its occupants, not just the Jews.

**Patrick** · June-08-10, 04:15 PM

I have had a front row seat to this for the past week. It gets more interesting everyday plus some anticipate about what is on the other minute of tape this rabbi filmed.

**Pam** · June-08-10, 04:43 PM

Does she think all the Jews should leave Israel? Not going to happen. There are several generations of native born Israelis now anyway, so her notion of where their home should be is ridiculous.

Too bad she went out on a bad note after such a long career.

**Sstashmoo** · June-08-10, 06:31 PM

Quote: "Too bad she went out on a bad note after such a long career."

Too bad she was ambushed, demonized and subsequently fired for her views, views in which are well within her rights as a US citizen. Her legacy will be forever soiled by these creeps. Just the media screening out the non ballplayers and the unbrainwashed.

**Patrick** · June-08-10, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

Does she think all the Jews should leave Israel? Not going to happen. There are several generations of native born Israelis now anyway, so her notion of where their home should be is ridiculous.

Too bad she went out on a bad note after such a long career.

Well, what is your defintion of Palestine compared to Helen's? I know it is going to be different...

**Pam** · June-08-10, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick

Well, what is your defintion of Palestine compared to Helen's? I know it is going to be different...

I don't have one. Why does that matter? The idea that Jews should leave after all these years and go to Europe or America is still ridiculous. It's not going to happen. All the people there need to learn to co-exist.

**gibran** · June-08-10, 10:24 PM

I love Helen..... even though it may have needed a contextual framework....wrong never the less...however if this out of context like the article suggests....then she is speaking her opinion...and one just has to turn to any of the Krauthamer, Dershowitz, Beck, or many other Anne Coulter types et al feelings about Arabs and you will see a real double standard...but if we seek peaceful solutions we then need to be careful what we say...

but to dishonor her long and storied career like this is sad...she has been a friend to Jews and Arabs alike more than she has not....she should be judged on the body of her work..not on a moment...sorry if this didnt have the vultures waiting for her [[Ari and others from the neocon Whitehouse) it may have passed into the night...now she is branded just like Carter...and that is sad...

she is a very honorable person and I would love to talk...how many of us has said something in the moment that we wish we could take back....but after covering this conflict for over 50 to years...she may have insight and feelings ... I would like equal treatment for equal events....

lilpup · June-08-10, 10:45 PM

I read that Wayne State might drop her name from the Spirit of Diversity award. I hope that does not happen as it would fly in the face of the very diversity it's supposed to honor. There is no diversity with intolerance of minority voices and opinions.

Ravine · June-08-10, 11:08 PM

I stay away from political discussions in this forum, but I do want to say that I stand with her, on her comments.

Nobody wants to become old, certainly not very old, but I admire the freedom of expression proferred by old age.
Fire her, black-list her, publicly scorn her, issue a Congressional Declaration against her, whatever, why would she care?

**Detroitnerd** · June-09-10, 09:27 AM

Jack Lessenberry joins the discussion ...

http://www.metrotimes.com/news/story.asp?id=15111

Helen Thomas has been a journalism legend for decades, the tiny lady in red who started covering the White House when John F. Kennedy became president, and has been there ever since, making most of us look lazy, blazing a trail for women.
She's traveled the world, and asked tough questions of 10 presidents over the last half-century. She bulldozed her way into such previously all-male institutions as the National Press Club and the Gridiron Club, and became United Press International's White House bureau chief. When UPI was taken over by the Moonies a decade ago, she bailed out. She thought her career was over, but was hired by Hearst Newspapers as a columnist.
Nor has she forgotten where she came from. She grew up on the east side of Detroit, graduated from Wayne State University, and remains fiercely proud of both. Ten years ago, she gave Wayne's journalism program some scholarship money, and we have an annual fund-raising tribute dinner in her name. She's never been too busy to make time for students who want to talk to her or to seek her advice.
Then, on May 27, she did something amazingly silly, insensitive and stupid. As a "deadline every minute" wire service reporter for 57 years, she was forced to stick to the facts, plus perhaps a little neutral analysis. But since she became a columnist, she has felt increasingly free to express her views, and she has become an increasingly harsh critic of Israel.
She has done a lot of public speaking in recent years, and her views have sometimes been so sharp that I have seen Jewish members of her audience squirm uncomfortably. But she really crossed the line on May 27, when a rabbi named David Nesenoff stuck a video camera in her face during a Jewish heritage celebration at the White House. What did she think of Israel? "They should get out of Palestine!" she said.
The rabbi appeared stunned. Any better comments? "Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not German and it's not Polish."

More at the link above ...

DumplingDude · June-09-10, 12:44 PM

Why am I not surprized at all reading this thread?
The same people who defend illiegal immigrants invading the U.S. and then bashing people of this country who want these invaders the hell out of here are defending her right to tell Israeli's to get the hell out of their legal homeland.
The same people bashing whites and christians at every opportune keystroke, defending the bigot and the racism of their own. Which is far worse than any of that from the right for sure.

In the Immortal words of another DY member in a recent post, "the hipocrisy knows no bounds".

Ambushed? No, she was obviously saying what she felt. You call it ambushed because she is a closeted racist and got caught for the world to see out in the open just how racist the left really is.

Ambushed my ass.
If Imus, Jimmy the Greek can fall then so can she. Its too bad more have not fallen for their open racism. But then again there would be no one left in the left's ranks now would it?
Whats good for the goose baby..

**Sstashmoo** · June-09-10, 01:48 PM

Quote: "Ambushed? No, she was obviously saying what she felt."

She was targeted by a known Zionist on a mission, as was the question targeting her openness and honesty. Helen has spoke her mind on many occasions. In reference to the issues of the invasion of Iraq and killing of innocent civilians, George Bush's stupidity, Cheney's sneaky underhandedness, etc. She has the right to say what she thinks under our freedom of speech and expression. You want to discuss "racism" while you defend the actions of one of the most mono-raced groups on the planet? Israels "occupation" of Gaza and West Bank is not resonating well globally [[Even with our own President and VP)and it takes folks like Helen Thomas to point it out. My only regret for her honesty and subsequent railroading was her wavering and apologizing.

Bearinabox · June-09-10, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by DumplingDude

The same people bashing whites and christians at every opportune keystroke, defending the bigot and the racism of their own. Which is far worse than any of that from the right for sure.

In the Immortal words of another DY member in a recent post, "the hipocrisy knows no bounds".

Ran across this article and thought you might like it.

**gibran** · June-09-10, 04:11 PM

dude dude...not many on the left are feeling it...and the left does not not tell people to get out of Israel..just the territories...these including many Jewish Peace Activists....

Retroit · June-09-10, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by DumplingDude

The same people who defend illiegal immigrants invading the U.S. and then bashing people of this country who want these invaders the hell out of here are defending her right to tell Israeli's to get the hell out of their legal homeland.

Israel may be the legal homeland of Jews, but it was only so by fiat of the UN. Jews hadn't been in control of that land since the diaspora in 70 AD. For comparison sake, let's say that the UN decided to give Texas back to Mexico, thus making it their "legal homeland" and ordered all Americans out. Would that be okay?

**Patrick** · June-09-10, 05:55 PM

I was a bit suprised at the amount of support for her to be honest. I have had more conservatives and tea-party folks say to me that "she's right" and that is a bit shocking.

lilpup · June-09-10, 07:15 PM

Of course, Patrick. She just said what a lot of people think but don't say. Many are fed up with Israel's behavior and its support from the US citizenry has been eroded.

**Patrick** · June-09-10, 07:51 PM

Very true and it seems that Israel is isolating itself more and more. Of course, we see stubborn folks on both sides but this flotilla raid didn't help plus they lost their most important ally in that part of world when they pissed off the Turks. Pro-Israeli folks will say it is a bad rash of anit-semitism but that is just a cop out. Put yourself in the shoes of an acerage Palestinian for a day and see how you like it going through six armed checkpoints to see a doctor.

**Pam** · June-09-10, 08:01 PM

Many are fed up with Israel's behavior

Many who objected to her statement are too. I don't have a problem with criticism of the Israeli government, but her statement went beyond that. Suggesting Jews return to countries where they were killed in the Holocaust is pretty insensitive and not constructive in solving the issues.

lilpup · June-09-10, 10:00 PM

She also included the US in her list of destinations which, quite frankly, jibes with what a former Israeli housemate of mine asserted - the worst Israel v Palestine agitators in Israel are the transplanted American Jews.

And how can people look at the backlash to her remarks without seeing the rampant anti-Palestinian/Arab sentiment that fuels it?

**Patrick** · June-10-10, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by lilpup

She also included the US in her list of destinations which, quite frankly, jibes with what a former Israeli housemate of mine asserted - the worst Israel v Palestine agitators in Israel are the transplanted American Jews.

And how can people look at the backlash to her remarks without seeing the rampant anti-Palestinian/Arab sentiment that fuels it?

That is a true statement about the American Jews. They cheer and pour money into Israel's coffers but they refuse to ever move there. I mean, if you love the place so much, why not move there? The Israeli Jews and their American counterparts are at odds and it seems to get worse every year.