WHY I WANT TO BE HELEN THOMAS: One of our greatest journalists, Helen Thomas, got the best of White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan earlier this week at a briefing. Thomas, a columnist for Hearst Newspapers, has covered every president since JFK and she never lets anybody get away with anything. This isn't the first time Helen has made Scott sweat, but I do love this exchange (courtesy of Simianbrain):

HELEN THOMAS: The other day - in fact, this week, you said that we, the United States, is in Afghanistan and Iraq by invitation. Would you like to correct that incredible distortion of American history -

MR. McCLELLAN: No, we are - that's where we currently -

HELEN THOMAS: - in view of your credibility is already mired? How can you say that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, I think everyone in this room knows that you're taking that comment out of context. There are two democratically-elected governments in Iraq and -

HELEN THOMAS: Were we invited into Iraq?

MR. McCLELLAN: There are two democratically-elected governments now in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments, and we are there today -

HELEN THOMAS: You mean if they had asked us out, that we would have left?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, Helen, I'm talking about today. We are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments -

HELEN THOMAS: I'm talking about today, too.

MR. McCLELLAN: - and we are doing all we can to train and equip their security forces so that they can provide for their own security as they move forward on a free and democratic future.

HELEN THOMAS: Did we invade those countries?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Steve.

I love how he just ignores her and goes on to the next reporter. There was a report last night on CNN that nearly 2,000 American soldiers have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there's not a chance in hell we're leaving Iraq this year or next. We'll probably be there permanently.

Comments

David Herrle said…
Hahahaha! This spar is great! Good show by Thomas!

(I've disagreed with some of her former points, but I dig her tenacity in this case.)
nolapoet said…
This admininstration has shown the highest disrespect for the senior member of thw Washington press corps. That alone displays the abysmal ignorance of those who stole this government from its people. It also clearly shows how little regard they have for the people's representative.

Robin

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