My 4th of July Hero: Helen Thomas
by Ernie MannixI have been more or less one of the resident class-clowns here at BH. Having been been so appalled at the bizarre news coming out of Washington on a daily basis, I’ve been unable to write anything, that isn’t from a satirical viewpoint. I must set off the political ‘Whoopee Cushion’ on these pages regularly, in order to keep my sanity and (pardon the expression), blow off some frustration amidst this dealership closin’, bank grabbin’, climate Goreing, march to socialism. The absolute lies, baloney and insanity streaming down from Washington, (all being completely ignored by the most of the press) have forced me to assume my old high school role of Goofball-Deluxe. Comedy hides pain? Okay maybe, but I don’t have to be B.F. Skinner to admit to you dear reader, that my satire was just an extension of the frustration caused by the real farce that has been taking place amidst one of our dearest freedoms; that of The Press.
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However, my dear wittle wabbits; please to knock me over with a feather (imitation of course, not from a eagle or a dolphin). The savior of my week was none other than the far-left lady from the great state of Bush-Bashachussetts: Ms. Helen Thomas.
She (for the time being) has undone my jaded eye-rolling hopelessness–she has (for at least this article) turned me into a reporter of sorts. Brava lady. Brava. Okay, it took the longest running member of the White House Press Corps to get any of the mainstream media to actually pay attention and not sweep it away with their “Right Wing Conspirator-Fox News” broom – but hey, whatever dudes! This week the news was the news.
Chip Reid, was questioning Press Secretary Gibbs about stacking the deck and the lack of openness at the Annandale healthcare ‘town hall’ meeting, when Helen ran to his aid. Here’s the transcript:
Gibbs: (Talking to Chip Reid) “… But, again, let’s–How about we do this? I promise we will interrupt the AP’s tradition of asking the first question. I will let you (Reid) ask me a question tomorrow as to whether you thought the questions at the town hall meeting that the President conducted in Annandale…“
Chip Reid: “I’m perfectly happy to…”
Helen Thomas: “That’s not his point. The point is the control…
Reid: “Exactly.“
Thomas: “We have never had that in the White House. And we have had some, but not… This White House.”
Gibbs: “Yes, I was going to say, I’ll let you amend her question.”
Thomas: “I’m amazed. I’m amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and…”
Gibbs: “Helen, you haven’t even heard the questions.”
Reid: “It doesn’t matter. It’s the process.”
Thomas: “You have left open…”
Reid: “Even if there’s a tough question, it’s a question coming from somebody who was invited or was screened, or the question was screened.”
Thomas: “It’s shocking. It’s really shocking.”
Gibbs: “Chip, let’s have this discussion at the conclusion of the town hall meeting. How about that?”
Reid: “Okay.”
Gibbs: “I think…“
Thomas: “No, no, no, we’re having it now…”
Gibbs: “Well, I’d be happy to have it now.”
Thomas: “It’s a pattern.”
Gibbs: “Which question did you object to at the town hall meeting, Helen?”
Thomas: “It’s a pattern. It isn’t the question…”
Gibbs: “What’s a pattern?”
Thomas: “It’s a pattern of controlling the press.”
Gibbs: “How so? Is there any evidence currently going on that I’m controlling the press…poorly, I might add.”
Thomas: “Your formal engagements are pre-packaged.”
Gibbs: “How so?”
Reid: “Well, and controlling the public…”
Thomas: “How so? By calling reporters the night before to tell them they’re going to be called on. That is shocking.”
Gibbs: “We had this discussion ad-nauseam and…”
Thomas: “Of course you would, because you don’t have any answers.”
Gibbs: “Well, because I didn’t know you were going to ask a question, Helen.
Go ahead.”Thomas: “Well, you should have.”
Reporter: Thank you for your support.
Gibbs: “That’s good. Have you e-mailed your question today?”
Thomas: “I don’t have to e-mail it. I can tell you right now what I want to ask.”
Gibbs: “I don’t doubt that at all, Helen. I don’t doubt that at all.”
Well there’s my report.
Again, thanks Helen. You did good. I actually got excited and smiled at some real news coming out of that appalling room this week. To my regular readers, please stay tuned. I just know Washington will have me rolling my eyes and shaking my head once again real soon, running off to find a brand new Whoopee Cushion.
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71 Comments
Maybe we should give Helen some sort of award? You know, as a pay back for everything she has done for Conservatives, in the past.
Hilarious! I sometimes catch myself thinking "there they go after Bush again", then remember this is the era of hopechangeyeswecan, and just sit back and enjoy the show. Come 2010 (and 2012), everyone reading this site, and enjoying the video, had better vote appropriately!
Wait till she figures out that conservatives admire what she did. She'll never let that kind of stuff slip out again.
Good for you, Ms Thomas. Fight the good fight. Hold to your principals and stand up to this administration's arrogant, cynical propaganda machine. May your actions encourage the news media worms to turn.
Just a friendly disagreement among friends. Don't expect this to actually go anywhere.
i laughed when i saw this. tasty. hey helen, just catching on?! welcome to what the rest of us have known since the election. your dude is all smoke and mirrors.
Exactly.
Already there, my friend!
Well, whether or not she continues to question the O administration and the pimping of the press, this was a truly funny moment. I really enjoyed watching Gibbs squirm. Hats off to MZZZZ Thomas (I thought I'd never hear myself even think that!)
Any one else notice the little Nervous laugh Gibbs lets slip when Helen starts up on him?
What a freaking joke.
I never,ever,ever in a thousand years thought that I would agree with Helen on anything, much less give her a pat on her ancient back and say, "You go girl". This was and is TRULY priceless. Gibbs is SUCH a mental midget. I agree with the others, though, lets see exactly were this goes. What a Kodak moment for now.
Lets see if she gets banned from asking questions for a month now. They prob figure they can wait her out and she'll retire: )
I have to agree with Andrew Breitbart's remarks regarding the above exchange. Reid and Thomas weren't standing up for some high and mighty journalistic principle. They were feeling like jilted lovers.
They (the press) helped get Obama elected, and now Gibbs and Company have the nerve to entertain other suitors. Sort of like the wife who puts her husband through medical school, only to have him dump her for a hot trophy wife once he's an MD.
As soon as Gibbs starts sucking up to CBS, NBC, et al., by allowing them to "plant" their questions ahead of time, all will be well again and the ass kissing will continue where it left off!
Thanks for highlighting this, Ernie. If it takes Helen T. to lift up the media control curtain, so be it.
Hilarious Ernie! Right on to! THe fact I am sitting here applauding Helen Thomas is a little disconcerting but heck…..HEH!
Helen Thomas, who should have retired 20 years ago before she started embarrassing herself on a regular basis (which everyone but her recognizes), finally did something that warranted her usual front row seat. She actually questioned the "integrity" of Robert Gibbs, who is exceeded in his arrogance only by the great BO. Way to go, Helen, even though your questioning will do accomplish nothing with this bunch. Our national print and electronic media, with the exception of Fox News Channel, are absolutely corrupt and have abdicated their responsibility to guard the national henhouse from the rabid foxes in this facist administration.
So it begins…
"This is not the liberal President we were looking for."
[...] Ernie Mannix observes unlikely candidate for the 2009, JULY 4TH HERO OF THE DAY! Posted at July 4, 2009 My 4th of July Hero: Helen Thomas [...]
[...] meeting Obama held on health care. Gibbs kept saying lets have this discussion AFTER the meeting. Helen Thomas accused the White House of “controlling the press.” She said almost all Whi… She accused the White House of not “having any answers.” Is the kool-aide finally [...]
"finally did something that warranted her usual front row seat.."
We'll see if that seat gets harder for her to come by if she keeps this up.
I read this and thought of the Miracle Max scene from "The Princess Bride"
Helen Thomas: "Lies! Lies!"
Gibbs: "Back! Back witch!"
Thomas: I'm not a witch! I'm your Loyal Press! I'm not even sure I want to be that anymore!
I read this and thought of the Miracle Max scene from "The Princess Bride"
Helen Thomas: "Lies! Lies!"
Gibbs: "Back! Back witch!"
Thomas: "I'm not a witch! I'm your Loyal Press! I'm not even sure I want to be that anymore!"
[...] the original here: My 4th of July Hero: Helen Thomas This entry is filed under America – Blogs, Big Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this [...]
It'll be interesting to see what springs from this. I wouldn't be surprised if BO had a conversation with her and told her if she doesn't get back in line she'll be sent to the home. One where she can't get out of.
I'm almost of the same vintage as Ms. Thomas and I've lived through many presidencies and press secretaries. I cannot remember any press rep as arrogant and condescending as Robert Gibbs. Tony Snow he's not.
Well, Stan … when you're Robert Gibbs, and you truly have nothing else going for you, you try to mask your lack of intellect and ability, somehow. Thus, many phonies, like Gibbs, often resort to a facade that includes arrogant and condescending behavior.
This guy truly is an empty one and like so many Dems today, particularly in this Administration, is ill-suited to serve in any capacity at this level.
Indeed, where have all the great Democrats of my youth gone?
Recipe for making Robert Gibb:
Take 1/4 Goober Pyle, 1/4 Homer Simpson, 1/4 Corky 1/4 Tom Arnold.. Mix liberally
Add in 4 cups each of stupidity and arrogance. Mix again.
Bake at room temperature 38 years. Serve to others who are stupid and arrogance.
[...] Complete article: July 4th, 2009 | Tags: Big Hollywood, Gibbs, Helen Thomas | Category: Misconduct | Leave a comment [...]
Bye Helen, it was fun while it lasted!
The rest of them will roll over permanently and not another challenge will be uttered.
Gibbs is so stupid. He can't even play the Alinsky ridicule-your-opponent play nearly as well as his master B. Hussein Obama.
His voice was cracking like a teenage girl while being grilled by an elderly lady. This administration is pathetic.
She's just jealous of the favoritism others are getting which she isn't.
I am actually disagreeing with you on this. It sounds like she is realizing that the press is being played here and doesn't like the tune. She's remembering what her job is. We'll see what the fallout is on this. If she is given more chances to ask questions then you are right. If she retires in a couple months then she stood with us and was shot down.
I applauded Reid and Thomas . . . however:
Breitbart (on Dennis Miller's radio show) pointed out that these press corps reps threw the mini-fit merely because they're miffed over White House preferential treatment toward HuffPo — not because they've finally seen the light.
Still, the exchange made for a refreshing few moments.
Gibbs is the press secretary of distraction, just like the administration wants him.
Gibbs laughs whenever there is a hard question. It drives me nuts. It's his way of saying "you question is so ridiculous, I can't believe you are asking it." What a jerk. It's one thing to be an administration spokesperson and dodge and deflect questions all day. It is a whole 'nother thing to act dismissive of the White House press corps.
Gibbs is an a-hole.
Well said.
I mentioned this to someone at a Tea Party yesterday, I don't like almost anything Helen Thomas has ever done but this at least shows me that she's a real person, that she at least has integrity in her nonsense…good for her.
I still can't stand that old witch, she needs to retire. Blech!
lol…I think you meant GOMER.
The press kinda reminds me of the movie "Trading Places," where Eddie Murphy began stealing from his new found friends. The more he noticed that there wern't going to be consequences the more he took liberty…. until finally he was going to break another expensive vase. In the same light the US press has let the Obama administration off the hook so much that he now thinks that he can do virtually anything he wants, including seeding and manipulating his audience. If Ms Thomas and Chip are starting to question what's happening perhaps we can now exhale and collectively inhale a breath of MSM fresh air.
We should applaud Helen, she may hate conservative views. She hates the White House even more for controlling the press corp that Helen has been a part of from the time this great Country was founded.
We should not make the same mistakes as the liberals have in condemning ever single thing they do. We should point out also when Liberals stand up for Liberty. Helen stood up for Liberty on this day!
I thought something seemed wrong. Tom Arnold may or may not be a conservative, but he appreciates capitalism and worked to get Schwarzenegger elected, also has a show on CMT and does not seem to mind being associated with rednecks. Thus he could in no way be part of a Robert Gibb.
Helen Thomas made my week with this exchange. There is still hope.
Maybe he meant Keith Olberman? That would more than account for the arrogance, the elitisism, AND stupidity quotients.
Now that Thomas has made clear that no one must trample on her prerogatives – when is she going to ask critical questions? And I don´t mean questions of the "why are you holding back on your great agenda" type?
For me, the most telling moment of the exchange was Robert Gibbs' little slip:
–Thomas: “Of course you would, because you don’t have any answers.”
–Gibbs: “Well, because I didn’t know you were going to ask a question, Helen."
Of course he didn't know…she didn't submit a question in time to get screened…
heh
What if she dies? Will anyone ask why or just assume it's because she's older than running water.
Is Gibbs the biggest twit or what?
Maybe…just maybe, this might temper the urge of PopMedia journalists to snicker whenever Obama or Robert Glibs ridicules FoxNews.
It was the first real shot across the bow. Thank you for the comments Anonymous Howard. We can only hope that the breaking of ranks by Helen Thomas will encourage the rest of the nervous gigglers in the press room to ask Gibbs some real questions and not back down until they get real answers.
Or pass away.
Remarkable that after a life spent kowtowing to liberalism, the expected obedience to liberalism the Obama administration requires was sufficiently mindless as to cause even Helen Thomas to get some spine. Still, the White House press corps is in general so doctrinaire liberal and spineless that tis moment will pass without effect as we continue to watch Gibb address the ocean of jellyfish.
I don't think Helen has any principles worth standing up for.
you sir are correct. do as you you would have done unto you.
Gibbs is an embarrassment to the state of Alabama.
Before we go too far in celebrating the "temerity" of Ms. Thomas, let's not lose perspective on this exchange. To wit, that it may only be a passing lovers' spat between the Teleprompter-in-Chief and his swooning, drooling minions in the press. Is the MSM really upset at the "manipulation" at these events, or are they merely miffed that they've been left out of the loop (i.e., passed over in favor of the even more sychophantic alternative media, your DailyKos and HuffPos.) I worry that this might be nothing more than a hissy fit of jealousy; once pimp daddy Obama gives them a twinkling little smile or pats their petulant little heads, all will be well with the world for them once again. And they'll be right back to licking his boots, kissing his ass, et al.
Here are two ideas that will help Robert Gibbs get in touch with himself:
1. Tell Robert Gibbs to REPEATEDLY say his famous phrase "HOW SO" as FAST as he can… He'll (hopefully) realize he's just describing himself!
2. Tell him to listen to the song "If You Seek A Robert Gibbs!" Now THAT'S a nice tune…
My wife called it: doesn't Helen Thomas look like a Skeksis?
That's one. Doesn't mean a thing of course. They're all liberals first. No balance, no fairness. Wait, this is their idea of balance… 6 months and one challenge to Gibbs and his puppet master.
Helen Thomas and the others of her ilk do not have the right to complain. They got the President they wanted.
I always thought of Helen Thomas as an old liberal Bat always anxious to pump up the Husain administration. Once you clear away the liberal politics from the brain, many liberals are pretty decent people for the most part. So does Ms Thomas's statement indicate that this liberal garbage we have been fed might have caused a few to wake up to how stupid it obviously is the same as the rest of us have known for some time now? When other would be White House reporters recognize the publicity Ms Thomas has received from exposing the White House manipulating of the alleged news (propaganda) from inside the liberal wing, will others folow? Maybe not as they are not intellegent enough judging by how long this lying crap has been allowed to go on. Good for Helen Thomas, the question becomes, how long will it take the voters who supported der fearless leader in the White House to recognize that he is otherwise only entertaining, but incompetent for the position the same as the House and Senate leadership, Polusey and Read obviously are?
Yes, he is.
too bad that most so called men in the media sit idly by. PS it is a good sign when the left finally see something is not right here. From the press and the set up press conferences to the BS excuses from the WH on just about everything.
I would expect that very soon both Thomas and Reid will both be reassigned. The evidence is overwhelming concerning this administration's "openness". Interview after interview has been choreographed and teams of writers have worked overtime to feed the teleprompters. These "town hall" STYLE meetings are, not unlike the presidential debates, treated in the same manor. As Reid suggested, the participants in these meetings are "invited" (read screened) as are the proposed questions they would ask. There is no indication by Gibbs or that of Mr. Obama that they would even entertain the idea of fielding a question that they have not been given time to prepare for.
It's interesting to see even a few members of the press expressing their displeasure at being played for fools. Sadly many of those who voted for Obama fail to notice that he is not being genuine or "open" as he promised.
I don't remember too many republicans objecting when the last president took softball questions from gay hooker Jeff Gannon.
When Helen Thomas finally sees the light and calls out this administration – we can all agree we're in deep doo-doo.
It is as if he's saying: "How dare you mere mortals question the almighty power of the B.O.". They both make me sick.
Unfortunately, this is true.
Obamessiatus; infected believe that the anointed one can do no wrong. Rational thought is the first to go with everything becoming the negative of reality; such as ‘evil’ becoming ‘good’, ‘socialism’ becoming ‘free market’, ‘fascism’ becoming ‘freedom’, ‘higher taxes’ becoming ‘tax cuts’ and ‘governmental extortion’ becoming ‘spreading the wealth’. The infected exhibit glazed over eyes as they mumble, “yes we can” while dribbling at the mouth and standing with their hand out.
LOL…I guess it really depends on whether the Republicans can identify a decent candidate. Once again, I will end up voting for the lesser of two evils.
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