Has Helen Thomas gone over to the other side?

[deaniac21]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou7SGNo5QHE

[MNDemNY]

1. Why, because she asked a good question?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. I hate to see journalists take any sides. nt

[pkdu]

3. MSM ( of all stripes) feels slighted by anything other than their exclusive access

same thing with Huffpo reporter/question.

[Richardo]

4. I don't know what's on the youtube clip but she's doing what she's done to every President since JFK

Trying to keep them accountable and holding their feet to the fire. She does not play favorites.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

13. It's from today's press conference.

Chip Reid was asking why the public health townhall had questions that were screened and Gibbs sort of dodged around that. Then Helen started accusing the Obama administration of trying to "control the press" and said that calling reporters the night before and letting them know they're getting a question is "shocking" and that "this has never happened before in the white house".

I like Helen, but I think she overstated her case here. I agree somewhat with the Townhall thing, but I disagree with the "this has never happened before" and the "shocking" aspect of Nico's question.

Also, Gibbs didn't help matters by being a smarmy dick during this whole ordeal.

[deaniac21]

15. The president wasn't involved. Why would you comment on

something you haven't seen? The Great One would NEVER have done that!

[Greybnk48]

5. Helen Thomas is a REAL news investigator/reporter, for those who are too

young to have ever seen one in action in their lifetime.

[emilyg]

68. Hear. Hear!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. Helen is a real journalist --

she doesn't HAVE a side except for The Truth.

Deal with it.

On edit:

I think DU just jumped the shark. When Helen Fuckin' Thomas is called out for "disloyalty" here, damned, that is just fucked up in a hundred ways.

[texastoast]

22. No,

A thousand ways.

On edit, we really need to clone her and Walter Cronkite who is nearing death, I understand.

WHERE ARE THE FUCKING REAL REPORTERS ANYMORE?? Chained by "librul" corporate media. Thank God for public radio.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

29. I know --

watching what has become of "journalism" today is an embarrassment. Thank god there are a few out there who refuse to fall into mediocrity or outright propaganda.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

43. I don't think journalism has never really been quite as good as you imagine.

Yellow journalism started in the late 1800's, not all that long after the concept of journalism began. I think the percentage of "good" journalists are about the same as it's always been, but the field has become very flooded with the internet, 24 hour cable news, bloggers, etc.

[DJ13]

7. She has always held politicians responsible to keep their promises

The only side she's on is ours.

[Clio the Leo]

8. Annoying isn't it......

... was she trying to ask a question or start a fight?

[dmr]

61. No, Gibbs dug himself into a needless smart-alecky hole

and his nervous giggles didn't help.

Bush* and Cheney were masters at controlling the press and controlling who would be in attendance at their public meetings - which meant that only loyalists would ask loyal questions - keeping Bush* in positive PR. So, Helen was wrong in what she said.

Seeing that the Obama administration has promoted transparency, they have to be prepared to be called on the lack of or perceived lack of it.

Anyway, if Gibbs hadn't been so flippant, then perhaps the press conference wouldn't have been so freaking embarrassing for the White House - which was most likely Chris Reid's intent.

[Clio the Leo]

73. Everything Gibbs learned about being flippant.....

.... he learned from Helen Thomas.

You'd think she would have learned by now you can get more flies with honey than you can with BS.

[boston bean]

82. HELEN HAD THE RIGHT IDEA I THINK, THAT WOMAN WORKS FOR THE CHANGE CAMPAIGN IN THE DNC

Smith, of Appalachia, Va., is a volunteer for Organizing for America, Obama's political operation within the Democratic National Committee. She obtained her ticket through the White House.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090701/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_o...

[Versailles]

9. Other side?!

Hell no. She is the consummate reporter...one of the few left. She is doing exactly what she should - it's the same thing we all applauded her for doing when Bush went ballistic over her. She is asking the tough questions and bringing issues to light instead of just rolling over and being the mouthpiece of an administration.

[sisters6]

10. WE need a million more Helen's.

[cboy4]

11. What was wrong with the point Reid and Helen were arguing?

The Obama Administration, just like any, is going to try to get away with tightly controlling information in order to make it look as good as possible.

I completely understand why they do it, but I also completely understand why it ticks off journalists.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. I think their point on the Townhall was a good one, but I disagree with the outrage over the Iran

question from Pitney.

I can understand Helen getting frustrated because Gibbs was acting like an ass, so that might have contributed to the tension.

[cboy4]

23. I'll yield to her experience, as to whether advising reporters in advance

that they're going to be called upon is inappropriate or not.

She seems to think it's not ethical. I don't know.

But obviously, yes, you can tell she was irritated with Gibbs for clowning around and not taking Reid's question about the town hall seriously.

He wanted the CBS News Chief White House Correspondent to email his question, like he's some part time worker at Starbucks?

[Mari333]

12. she is a real journalist, the real deal

and she doesnt put party before asking for the truth from any politician

shes the best there is..if there were more like her we wouldnt be in the mess we are in now.

[Lex]

16. Exactly.

[Eric J in MN]

14. Robert Gibbs is the annoying one in that YouTube video. NT

NT

[aikoaiko]

18. Gibbs was being a real weener because he didn't like the questions.

I think Gibbs's days might be short.

[Dawgs]

19. No. Just wrong on the facts, and completely unprofessional.

I like Helen, but she couldn't be more wrong. President Obama has had multiple press conferences with the press. He's also had many town halls from unscripted participants asking unvetted questions; including the one from Pitney.

I'm sure she can't remember one President that has been as public as this one.

[deaniac21]

That sure isn't what she is saying.

[Dawgs]

31. Really?

What was she saying?

[deaniac21]

83. She said that this administration was most controlling she had

seen in her entire career.

[alc]

35. meaning of "town hall" meeting

If I understand what Helen said correctly, I think the point is that calling this a "town hall meeting" will bring into question the authenticity of real town hall meetings that are unscripted and unvetted. The next time there is a real one, the attackers will say Obama scripts them all and selects questions (or at least say he has scripted them in the past and how can we be sure he didn't this time). Saying that this meeting is a speech based on questions submitted by real people would not open the door for attacks on the authenticity of other town hall meetings.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

39. As if that wasn't already questioned.

If Bush's "loyalty oath town hall meetings" didn't start people questioning their authenticity, I don't know what would.

[Lorien]

81. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton for starters

a "town hall meeting" is traditionally unscripted, as all of Obama's have been in the past. Why change that format? If he wants to make a speech, just make the speech and don't try to put a "town hall" spin on it. Helen is completely justified in asking what she did. She's doing her job, so what's unprofessional about that?

[scheming daemons]

20. No.... she just became a caricature of herself about 15 years ago....

....and doesn't realize it.

[EFerrari]

64. Boy, that's ugly. And I sure don't remember you calling her out

when she stood up to Junior, not 15 years ago.

Stay classy.

[scheming daemons]

21. Dupe

.

[Daphne08]

24. The only "side" a journalist should take is the side of the truth.

I've been watching Helen Thomas for over forty years, and she's a good reporter.

[cboy4]

25. By the way, I'd like to give a shout out to all of the usual Obama apologists who

are showing up in this thread.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

37. This requires an apology?

Really?

[Divine Discontent]

55. but I'm disappointed, they're not all here.. :(

my day is incomplete.

[YOY]

26. No. She's defending her profession from bloggers.

Sadly I like the woman...but I was hoping the bloggers getting in there would start making the journalists increase their standards to what they used to be. Instead of improving their own product they opt to attack the competition.

It is sad to see a Republicaneque tactic coming from a Liberal Journalist.

Now the question she asked? Quite legitimate with the aforementioned twist added to it.

[DatManFromNawlins]

70. No she isn't

A town hall meeting should be about going into a town, and having normal, average people asking you the questions which are important to them. Once upon a time, some politicians would actually embrace the concept of a town hall meeting. But what Obama has been doing in his "town hall" meetings as of late is to have a bunch of pre-scripted softballs lobbed at him so he looks good on television.

Bloggers? Competition? Please, get real. Reading a blog and then declaring it news is about as useful as buying a Cuban cigar from a street vendor in Mexico.

[SoCalDem]

27. Perhaps Helen is not "feeling the love", she thought she'd get

She was so slighted for 8 long years, maybe she thought there would be a 180.

[earth mom]

28. Are you fucking kidding me?

Here is some real fucking truth being reported here and you are trying to skew it?

Health care should be a fundamental right and how fucking DARE the Obama White House skew the town hall meeting to shill for the Insurance industry?!!!!!!!!!!

Gibbs is a fucking asshole for laughing at their questions! This is outrageous!!!

[Jackeens]

30. Helen: "The point is the control....we have never had that in the White House." HELEN!!!!!!!!!!

Come on, whatever your views on the Obama administration's 'control' of the agenda/media, through townhalls or whatever, do you seriously accept Helen's suggestion that this has never happened before in the White House? Jeez, talk to Jeff Gannon!

[EFerrari]

38. NIbble around the edges., you may never have to deal with the fact

she's right.

[Jackeens]

42. I adore her, I think she's a legend, but I thought that particular claim was daft!

No previous president has tried to control the media/agenda? Seriously?

[EFerrari]

44. Helen Thomas was right to object to the filtering of information.

Seriously.

[Jackeens]

46. So you agree with her claim, that no previous President has attempted to 'filter' information? Ok.

[EFerrari]

62. No, I think that her main point is right.

How she put it is sort of not the point. And, in fact, she was being generous to previous Democratic presidents.

[rvablue]

58. She has every right to complain. I wasn't thrilled about the idea. But why didn't Helen speak up

over an 8 year period when she covered Reagan. Because it's a well-known fact that Reagan only took pre-screened questions from reporters. Sam Donaldson was kicked to the curb because he dared to ask an unscreened question.


Don't know if she was ever called on by Reagan during a presser-- so don't know if she actually submitted her questions for screening -- but she damn well knew about it and I can't find a thing on the googles when she complained about it.

[Cha]

45. "No previous president has tried to control the media/agenda?"

She's acting disingenuous and it makes her look lame.

Yeah, she's a legend, all right.

[demmiblue]

32. I find it strange that anyone would think so?!

[arcadian]

33. Thanks for making DU look like FreeRepublic.

Maybe you can get a refund on the flowers you chiped in on, if you did.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

34. No.

There is only one side for any journalist - their own. The question each asks themselves is simple: What course of action best advances my career? What is my niche in life?

For some, it's being "loyal" to a party or an ideology, thus gaining better access to that side of the story and always having something good to report on. For a few (and I do mean very few), it's being an investigator, willing to risk life and limb for the ultimate grab.

For Helen Thomas, it has always been finding a niche as a gadfly. Her gimmick is to find the way to best annoy the president through questions that are both fair and unfair, thus making her stand out. Given her notoriety, I'd say it's been rather effective.

It's idealistic at best to think of journalists as anything but opportunistic. They're there to advance their own name, sell a few copies, and pay the mortgage - just like the rest of us. Are there are a few journalists out there that are idealists? Sure, but they're a lot fewer than people think, and that has always been true.

[azmouse]

36. I admire her consistency.

[timeforpeace]

40. Where Helen leads, the press corps follows. Plus belittling her may backfire.

[omega minimo]

41. Depends on which "side" you're on.

[G_j]

51. I was gonna say that

[omega minimo]

66. So many great comments in the thread already, it's all been said!!

Hey G-j

[ficus1]

47. She went over to the daft side today

Chip Reid's point that it shouldn't be called a "town hall" because the questions are selected by the White House was a good one, but Helen's argument that the Obama administration's handling of the press is "shocking" because they told Nico Pitney to try and solicit questions from actual Iranians is idiotic. Because her argument is idiotic one has to assume that she has an emotional reason for feeling the way she does about the Pitney situation, in this case she's just defending the Old Establisment press from the evil bloggers. Or she may just be disingenuous and playing up her treasured role as gadfly.

[omega minimo]

67. She'd eat you for breakfast

[That Is Quite Enough]

48. Jesus Hoobastank Christ on a stick.

[uppityperson]

49. No. eom

[cherokeeprogressive]

50. 1:21 Gibbs: "The questions were selected by people that email on Facebook and Twitter".

I don't think Gibbs meant "by", I think me meant "from", and if so, what an ingenious way to get your point across at a "town hall" meeting. Pick the questions you like, toss out the ones you don't, and VOILA, you get to say that the public thinks whatever you want.

Reid and Thomas were both dead on. This is NOT transparency we can believe in.

[marshall]

52. She's on her own side--the side of objectively challenging authority with questions

That's what the media should be about.

[spoony]

53. For Helen's sake, can I at least ask

that instead of throwing her under the bus, you gently place her. You know, considering her age?

[donco6]

54. It's been so long since anyone's seen a real journalist -

we no longer recognize them when they are doing their job.

Sad.

[Divine Discontent]

56. HA!!!! that is perfect!

[Lorien]

80. Indeed. nt

[bigwillq]

57. No. We need more like her.

Sometimes one may not agree with someone on every topic, but that doesn't mean they have "crossed over".

[shadowknows69]

59. So can some of you pinpoint the time you became like a Republican or is it a mystery?

"Stop picking on our guy by using the truth Helen!!!"

[Vidar]

60. Helen Thomas is a real journalist. Staged "Town Halls" are Bush League stunts.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

63. Gibbs reminds me of a used car salesman. Helen/Reid seem to have a valid point. Maybe you're on the

darkside?

[EFerrari]

65. It's funny because I defended Gibbs against the very same people

who are today calling Helen a gasbag who has gone over to the other side and should retire because she is a caricature.

I guess there is no ugly too ugly around here any more.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

71. That's weird.

[bamacrat]

69. Shes asking good questions but..

She never asked them of the previous administration. Albiet they never called on her, but I find it hard to believe that Obamas is the first admin to notify reporters they would be called on. Its too controlled and civil to not be scripted. Even during Bush, Clinton and Bush I, I always found it odd how they call on people to ask question.

[dmr]

76. No, they stopped calling on her for asking relevant questions n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

72. I think she might be the Susan Boyle of the WH press corp.

[scarletwoman]

74. Helen is a journalist -- and a damn fine one -- she's not supposed to be on a "side".

Her job is to hold politicians' feet to the fire, and no one does it better than she.

The sycophants and ninnies who can't deal with what Helen (bless her!) does are no better than the bushbots of the past administration.

DU has become home to a sorry bunch of lickspittles. It's absolutely disgusting.

[Mark Twain Girl]

75. What, are actual journalists on the other side now? I'm not even sure what the sides are anymore.

I'll go for Helen's side.

[Arkana]

77. No, but I think her criticisms are misguided.

[BlooInBloo]

78. She's a member of the journalistic establishment, which we're watching die before our eyes...

Such lashings out are to be expected.

[Lorien]

79. No, she's a journalist, not a groupie. nt