Helen Thomas Retiring Amid Controversy

[Arrogance]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedi...s_retires.html

In the world of political journalism, it's the end of an era: Helen Thomas has retired just months shy of her 90th birthday.


The longtime White House journalist has covered ever president since Dwight Eisenhower and broke several barriers for female journalists but stepped down from her latest role -- a columnist for Hearst Newspapers -- in the wake of controversial remarks made in late May about the need for Jews to "get the hell out of Palestine" and return to Poland and Germany.


"Helen Thomas announced Monday that she is retiring, effective immediately," read a statement from Hearst Newspapers on Monday. "Her decision came after her controversial comments about Israel and the Palestinians were captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet."


Thomas said in a statement that, "I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.’’


The decision to retire came as Thomas faced rebuke from nearly every corner after video of her remarks during an interview with RabbiLive.com's Rabbi David Nesenoff emerged online late last week.


"Those remarks were offensive and reprehensible," Gibbs said during the Monday briefing, adding that Thomas's remarks "do not reflect certainly most of the people here and certainly not those of the administration." Thomas did not attend Monday's briefing and journalists, perhaps sensing the closing of an era, were spotted taking pictures of Thomas' empty front row.


Over the weekend, Thomas' agency dropped her as a client and a high school that had asked Thomas to speak at its commencement ceremony revoked the invitation. Such political bigwigs as Dana Perino, Ari Fleischer, Rep. Rick Lazio, Lanny Davis and Joe Lockhart denounced Thomas' remarks, as did many Jewish organizations.


During Thomas' fifty-seven years as a correspondent for United Press International, Thomas earned a reputation as a tough questioner willing to put the feet of politicians to the fire, while simultaneously becoming a whipping boy for conservatives who objected to her liberal viewpoints and, later, for her privileged position within the White House press corps (the middle seat in the front row was -- first by protocol and then by mandate -- designated for Thomas). She became the first female officer of the National Press Club as well as the first female member of the White House Correspondents Association and the Gridiron Club. When UPI was acquired by News World Communications, Inc. in 2000, Thomas resigned from the organization and later joined Hearst Newspapers as a columnist, where she covered national affairs.


Good Riddance

[Gerry]

Here's the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcQdWBqt14

This was shown on CNN State of the Union yesterday.

I could hardly believe my ears.

[Raider]

Leave it to a far left nut job like Helen Thomas to show her anti-semitic side..... At least she was honest.

Yeah Helen, lets send all the jews back to Germany and Poland of all places, where jewish families were ripped from their homes, thrown into freight trains and executed just for being Jewish...... It's really too bad your stupid ass wasn't on one of those trains headed to Treblinka, if it was and you escaped, I'm sure you would feel differently.

I could hardly believe my ears.

Surprised because you considered her credible? This must be a huge let down for you Gerry.

She is after all the Woman who said Bush was the worst President ever, Words that must of been music to your ears.

[500,000]

...

[Raider]

Got lettuce?

[Infoproliferati]

I think she made that comment as a reaction to Israel's raid on the flotilla, which clearly angered her.

[Raider]

I think she made that comment as a reaction to Israel's raid on the flotilla, which clearly angered her.

Perhaps, but she's always been anti Israel and whatever happened on that raid is no justification for what she said, Which is inexcusable.

[CureCancer]

Got lettuce?

Did you design that?

[Validweb]

The Israeli lobby bags a journalist:

"Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history," ADL chief Foxman said in a statement. "We believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere apology for the pain her remarks have caused."

Foxman left out, conveniently for him and for others including in this forum, that she also said that they should go back to America.


If she is an anti-semite, she must be the only anti-semite in the world who wants jews to come to her own country.

You have to first ask, why does anyone in Washington or America care so much about a brief statement made by a journalist about a little country on the other side of the world?


If what she said about another country is wrong, why is saying something wrong about a distant country reason to lose your job as a journalist?

The Helen Thomas incident is a milestone in the history of Israel's lock on the America media, and how Americans have come to accept Israel and the American Israeli lobby's view of the world as the accepted orthodoxy.

If Thomas had made a similar statement about any other country in the world, her colleagues wouldn't have near universally condemned her, it wouldn't be on this website, the video wouldn't have gone viral, and she wouldn't have to resign.

She's had a distinguished career, she's 89 and obviously a bit frail, and she immediately apologized for her remark. Doesn't matter. The Israel lobby rules, so she had to go.

Of course one shouldn't insult other countries, but journalists should not be penalized more about anything they say about one country than any other country. The Israeli lobby have made sure, however, That such is not the situation in America. Say the smallest thing negative about Israel, and you'll face accusations of antisemitism. Say something particularly noteworthy like Thomas has done, and you face complete vilification and are ostracized. This isn't new, of course, and journalists have all gotten the message a long time ago; 89 year Thomas might have forgotten about this reality for a moment. Its one of the major reasons the media in America is all so pro-Israeli. Life will continue to be difficult for any journalist who criticizes Israel, even a little bit. Say anything really harsh about Israel a la Thomas, and unlike similar remarks made about any other country, you can kiss your career in main stream US journalism goodbye.

The Israel lobby's grip on the American media, and on the way Americans look at the world through Israel's eyes, is mind numbing.

[PRED]

The Israeli lobby bags a journalist:

"Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history," ADL chief Foxman said in a statement. "We believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere apology for the pain her remarks have caused."

Foxman left out, conveniently for him and for others including in this forum, that she also said that they should go back to America.


If she is an anti-semite, she must be the only anti-semite in the world who wants jews to come to her own country.

You have to first ask, why does anyone in Washington or America care so much about a brief statement made by a journalist about a little country on the other side of the world?


If what she said about another country is wrong, why is saying something wrong about a distant country reason to lose your job as a journalist?

The Helen Thomas incident is a milestone in the history of Israel's lock on the America media, and how Americans have come to accept Israel and the American Israeli lobby's view of the world as the accepted orthodoxy.

If Thomas had made a similar statement about any other country in the world, her colleagues wouldn't have near universally condemned her, it wouldn't be on this website, the video wouldn't have gone viral, and she wouldn't have to resign.

She's had a distinguished career, she's 89 and obviously a bit frail, and she immediately apologized for her remark. Doesn't matter. The Israel lobby rules, so she had to go.

Of course one shouldn't insult other countries, but journalists should not be penalized more about anything they say about one country than any other country. The Israeli lobby have made sure, however, That such is not the situation in America. Say the smallest thing negative about Israel, and you'll face accusations of antisemitism. Say something particularly noteworthy like Thomas has done, and you face complete vilification and are ostracized. This isn't new, of course, and journalists have all gotten the message a long time ago; 89 year Thomas might have forgotten about this reality for a moment. Its one of the major reasons the media in America is all so pro-Israeli. Life will continue to be difficult for any journalist who criticizes Israel, even a little bit. Say anything really harsh about Israel a la Thomas, and unlike similar remarks made about any other country, you can kiss your career in main stream US journalism goodbye.

The Israel lobby's grip on the American media, and on the way Americans look at the world through Israel's eyes, is mind numbing.

an excellent post
worthy of a fellow Brit! lol
i agree with all you said to be honest

most 89 year old's have trouble running a sentence together. heck, the outgoing president of the u.s had this problem and he's only in his 60's!
this lady has had a distinguished career, she could have worded things better but I think what she said has been taken out of context
there must be hordes of people queing up waiting for a slip like this from her after she's made mincemeat of them over the past 60 plus years

[Gerry]

The Israeli lobby bags a journalist:

"Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history," ADL chief Foxman said in a statement. "We believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere apology for the pain her remarks have caused."

Foxman left out, conveniently for him and for others including in this forum, that she also said that they should go back to America.


If she is an anti-semite, she must be the only anti-semite in the world who wants jews to come to her own country.

You have to first ask, why does anyone in Washington or America care so much about a brief statement made by a journalist about a little country on the other side of the world?


If what she said about another country is wrong, why is saying something wrong about a distant country reason to lose your job as a journalist?

The Helen Thomas incident is a milestone in the history of Israel's lock on the America media, and how Americans have come to accept Israel and the American Israeli lobby's view of the world as the accepted orthodoxy.

If Thomas had made a similar statement about any other country in the world, her colleagues wouldn't have near universally condemned her, it wouldn't be on this website, the video wouldn't have gone viral, and she wouldn't have to resign.

She's had a distinguished career, she's 89 and obviously a bit frail, and she immediately apologized for her remark. Doesn't matter. The Israel lobby rules, so she had to go.

Of course one shouldn't insult other countries, but journalists should not be penalized more about anything they say about one country than any other country. The Israeli lobby have made sure, however, That such is not the situation in America. Say the smallest thing negative about Israel, and you'll face accusations of antisemitism. Say something particularly noteworthy like Thomas has done, and you face complete vilification and are ostracized. This isn't new, of course, and journalists have all gotten the message a long time ago; 89 year Thomas might have forgotten about this reality for a moment. Its one of the major reasons the media in America is all so pro-Israeli. Life will continue to be difficult for any journalist who criticizes Israel, even a little bit. Say anything really harsh about Israel a la Thomas, and unlike similar remarks made about any other country, you can kiss your career in main stream US journalism goodbye.

The Israel lobby's grip on the American media, and on the way Americans look at the world through Israel's eyes, is mind numbing.

daaaaaaaaaaaamn

lots of truth here.

Saw other journalist's and political pundits defend her on many of these same points.

[Infoproliferati]

Good points Validweb. Going as far as pressuring her to resign after an apology wasn't necessary. The thing about life is when you have the camera in your face enough times, you'll end up saying something controversial or silly. It happens eventually, no matter how smart or aware one is in front of the camera. And it isn't just the journalists or politicians that are susceptible to this. Even the average joe has as much as a 50% chance of saying something regrettable. It happens everyday, everywhere in this age of tv, digital cameras, cell phones and the internet.

[Seraphim]

The Israeli lobby is just a chihuahua with an attitude. Left on it's own, it's naturally going to nip at your ankles, like any other interest group, foreign or domestic. However, cradled in the arms of a 7'2" Evangelical owner, what would otherwise be a minor nuisance is now tearing chunks of your cheek off, as Helen Thomas is finding out.

Tens of millions of US citizens actually believe that the establishment of the modern state of Israel is a fulfilling of prophecy. Imagine the Coca-Cola lobby with that kind of support...