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.
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
(I've disagreed with some of her former points, but I dig her tenacity in this case.)
Robin