Helen Dares to Question WH about Civilian Casualties

[Rose Siding]

Perino responds by lecturing her, even challenging her position in the room-

Q Why should we depend on him?

MS. PERINO: Because he is the commander on the ground, Helen. He's the one who is making sure that the situation is moving —

Q You mean how many more people we kill?

MS. PERINO: Helen, I find it really unfortunate that you use your front row position, bestowed upon you by your colleagues, to make such statements. This is a — it is an honor and a privilege to be in the briefing room, and to suggest that we, at the United States, are killing innocent people is just absurd and very offensive.

Q Do you know how many we have since the start of this war?

MS. PERINO: How many — we are going after the enemy, Helen. To the extent that any innocent Iraqis have been killed, we have expressed regret for it.

Q Oh, regret. It doesn't bring back a life.

MS. PERINO: Helen, we are in a war zone, and our military works extremely hard to make sure that everyone has the opportunity for liberty and freedom and democracy, and that is exactly what they are doing.

I'm going to move on.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=N2JmNzQ3MmI5Nz...

I guess you have to be a male prostitute to get any respect in an administration press briefing. -Or a government plant. That works, too.

Take your worthless "regret" shove it, Dana.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Helen Thomas is my hero!

She has more balls than the fellows in that press room.

[NMDemDist2]

2. ol Dana was practically in tears on that one

Helen rulz, Dana droolz

[RC]

3. Helen should have brought up how we invaded illegally based on WH lies.

No stated reason by the White House for invading Iraq has ever held up.


(No way could Saddam have flown all four planes on 9/11, as he did not have a valid pilots license.)

[blondeatlast]

6. She has, repeatedly. nt

[Rose Siding]

8. No shit. And she's spoken and written about it, too.

...for years.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/132700_thomas29.h...
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
snip>
WASHINGTON -- President Bush has a huge credibility gap stemming from his exaggerated rhetoric that led the United States to attack Iraq.....

To rally public support for an unprovoked U.S. invasion of Iraq, Bush laid it on with a shovel. There were scary warnings of an imminent, direct threat that Saddam Hussein would use nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction against us.

Throughout the buildup for war, Bush and his aides repeatedly claimed that there was a link between Iraq and the al-Qaida terrorists.

So far, after almost four months of U.S. occupation of Iraq, none of those contentions has panned out.

The Iraqis deployed none of those feared weapons when U.S. forces invaded on March 20, despite warnings that had led many U.S. military men and women to spend uncomfortable hours decked out in protective moon suits.

[blondeatlast]

9. That 80+ year old woman has more guts in her than the rest of the WH Press Corps combined.

She pretty much made me the policial wonk I am when I was a pre-adolescent when she asked Ziegler the question that felled the Nixon administration.

If only we had 5 more like her. To my mind, only David Schuster approaches her.

[Mnemosyne]

4. Get her Helen! stupid little... n/t

[blogslut]

5. it is an honor and a privilege to be in the briefing room

No, my dear Dana. It is our RIGHT to be informed.

[blondeatlast]

7. How dare that emaciated talking Barbie speak to the esteemed

Helen Thomas that way?

Tried to find video, so far no luck.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. You can find a link to the video and a transcript of the press

briefing on this page:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/11/2007113...

It's about 17:15 into the video.

[blondeatlast]

11. Thank you! It's early here--of course it would be on WH page.

Must. Get. Caffeine!

Thanks again; I never tire of watching Helen smack 'em down.

[K Gardner]

12. Translation: ShutUP or we'll take your seat away. What a worthless WHslut n/t