Helen Thomas Controversy

[Michael]

Helen Thomas, longtime White House correspondant for the Hearst media chain, opened a can of worms on the weekend when she suggested that the Jews ought to leave Israel and go home to Germany, Poland and the USA where they came from.

Needless to say, this has ignited a firestorm of controversy in Washington media circles, forcing Ms. Thomas' resignation.

Please note that Ms. Thomas just said what countless US politicians have already said dozens of times. This viewpoint is quite common and non-controversial at all. Ms. Thomas' error was pointing the finger at the wrong tribe. If Ms. Thomas said that Palestinians ought to leave Israel, then she'd be in good company with official US policy.

Funny how that game works in Washington. It is not about the content of one's public policy - its where you stand with the tribe. And America's tribe officially stands with the Jewish tribe. That's all there is to this issue.

In the USA, one must bow before officially sacred cows or you will be hounded out of Washington. Questioning offical policy is not acceptable. Failing to support Israel is treason.

[Non Sequitur]

Helen Thomas, longtime White House correspondant for the Hearst media chain, opened a can of worms on the weekend when she suggested that the Jews ought to leave Israel and go home to Germany, Poland and the USA where they came from.

Needless to say, this has ignited a firestorm of controversy in Washington media circles, forcing Ms. Thomas' resignation.

Please note that Ms. Thomas just said what countless US politicians have already said dozens of times. This viewpoint is quite common and non-controversial at all. Ms. Thomas' error was pointing the finger at the wrong tribe. If Ms. Thomas said that Palestinians ought to leave Israel, then she'd be in good company with official US policy.

Funny how that game works in Washington. It is not about the content of one's public policy - its where you stand with the tribe. And America's tribe officially stands with the Jewish tribe. That's all there is to this issue.

In the USA, one must bow before officially sacred cows or you will be hounded out of Washington. Questioning offical policy is not acceptable. Failing to support Israel is treason.

Well a question of clarification: did she say the Jews should leave Israel or they should leave Palestine? If she said the Israeli's should return to something resembling the pre-1967 border, ok. If she means the entire country of Israel that is a different matter.

[Michael]

Well a question of clarification: did she say the Jews should leave Israel or they should leave Palestine? If she said the Israeli's should return to something resembling the pre-1967 border, ok. If she means the entire country of Israel that is a different matter.

That misses the point.

The point is that if one substitutes "Palestinians" for "Jews" in her statement, you'd have official US policy and a statement that has been made by dozens of top US government officials and senior politicians.

But if you use the word "Jews" there, that's totally beyond the pale and virtually 'hate-speech'.

That specific double-standard is what is most interesting here.

In Washington, one must support Israel 100% in all things, or you are a radical too far outside of polite discourse.

[dilettante]

Well a question of clarification: did she say the Jews should leave Israel or they should leave Palestine? If she said the Israeli's should return to something resembling the pre-1967 border, ok. If she means the entire country of Israel that is a different matter.

Looks like the fatal quote was "Get the hell out of Palestine. Remember these people are occupied, and it’s their land."

[Non Sequitur]

That misses the point.

The point is that if one substitutes "Palestinians" for "Jews" in her statement, you'd have official US policy and a statement that has been made by dozens of top US government officials and senior politicians.

But if you use the word "Jews" there, that's totally beyond the pale and virtually 'hate-speech'.

That specific double-standard is what is most interesting here.

In Washington, one must support Israel 100% in all things, or you are a radical too far outside of polite discourse.

Well yes of course there is a double standard. That is just a well known fact of American politics. Given that:

1. Even though there is a double standard her comment is still wrong if she meant the entire Jewish people in Israel should pack up and leave the area altogether. I seriously doubt and a competent and respectable woman like her meant it that way so that brings me to

2. Given that American politics (and American society as a whole) has a double standard favoring Israel and that Thomas is a well respected and very intelligent woman she had to have known that phrasing the comment the way she did would raise an almighty s**t storm. If she wanted to criticize Israel, good, but there are ways of doing that without having your comments be construed as anti-semitic by the larger public. (I am not saying that the comments were. But if you say something in public that could be interpreted as anti-semitic by the larger society it will be. Just a fact of American society).

[Americano]

She voiced an opinion contrary to official US foreign policy. Regardless of speculative opinion as to defining her terminology, it was a political blunder that, considering her professional occupation, demanded her resignation. Considering her age, 89, insider knowledge with front row participation in national politics, it sounds like she's done with the game for whatever reason.
She's no longer a team member.

[Lily]

It would have been much more interesting if she had just let her comment stand and committed professional suicide with a big "Fuck you" to Washington. But, she issued that apology. That makes me think that she's just stayed too long at the fair.

[WFCY]

She appeared to be drunk and the video was cut, so we need to see what took place before and after the clip to really give a fair comment.

Still, she shot herself in the foot with that comment. Right wing vultures love this kind of scandal. Shame that she had to end her legacy this way (retired today).

[Americano]

I agree with Lily, she should have just said fuck off and be done with it. I'd think her contract with Hearst had something to do with the apology as she was a reporter, not an editor.

[Michael]

What the hell was an 89 yo woman doing working anyway? She should have retired years ago.

If she was working freelance of her own accord, that's fine - but she wasn't doing that - she was sucking on a corporate salary.

Her outburst (and apology) is proof that she should have been retired long ago like a normal person. I'm no fan of egos at all, and Helen Thomas certainly had to have a large one to keep her there so long.

Indeed, now her whole career essentially flushed down the toilet. This is what she will be remembered for - as a warning to others about letting crazy old ladies play politics when they are long past their prime.

[WFCY]

Well I think you should give her a bit more credit. She is one of the finest reporters in the White House for decades, and just outstanding in terms of professional integrity in a time when this is very rare in the commercial media.

People like Rush Limbaugh says similar things all the time, and gets away with it every time. I mean, Helen's departure is a real loss for news media in general. We are only getting more biggots and liars, because they are all here to stay. And the honest ones are ousted the first instance they make a drunk remark.

[Michael]

Well I think you should give her a bit more credit. She is one of the finest reporters in the White House for decades, and just outstanding in terms of professional integrity in a time when this is very rare in the commercial media.

People like Rush Limbaugh says similar things all the time, and gets away with it every time. I mean, Helen's departure is a real loss for news media in general. We are only getting more biggots and liars, because they are all here to stay. And the honest ones are ousted the first instance they make a drunk remark.
No, Helen Thomas was one of the finest reporters a couple of decades ago. I don't think she's done anything in the last decade at all (except hog her much cherished front row seat at Presidential press conferences).

And at 89 years old, Helen Thomas was exactly like the "here to stay" set.

I'm not a tribalist. I'll defend Thomas if she's defensible, but in this case, she isn't. Indeed, this episode reveals all that is rotten in Washington media and Helen Thomas is part of that.

[Mind's Eye]

The only error in this was Helen's apology.
Never apologize - your friends don't need one and your enemies will use it against you.

In this case, Helen's enemies were " journalists " who excel at kissing ass, and being compliant little stenographers.

" Journalists " these days would rather be invited to hang out with the " in " crowd than report anything too critical.

From " dancin' David " Gregory to McCains' barbecue buddies, reporters would rather belong and be granted access, than remain loyal to their profession.

Helen did not play that game, and I see no one to replace her. For that, we all lost.

[Michael]

Helen did not play that game, and I see no one to replace her. For that, we all lost.

Actually, this episode seems to demonstrate that Helen has indeed been playing along with the game all along.

She apparently loved her 'front-row-seat' so much that she kept her own views quiet for many decades. And when she actually voiced her own opinion (once!), she quickly apologies for it.

I have no sympathy for Helen or the journalism profession. They are all whores and liars - even the supposedly good ones.

[Mind's Eye]

Actually, this episode seems to demonstrate that Helen has indeed been playing along with the game all along.

She apparently loved her 'front-row-seat' so much that she kept her own views quiet for many decades. And when she actually voiced her own opinion (once!), she quickly apologies for it.

I have no sympathy for Helen or the journalism profession. They are all whores and liars - even the supposedly good ones.

You seem to have forgotten how she was back-benched during the Bush years and ignored for the most part.

I did not mean to infer that Helen did not play games, only that she did not play " that " game of which most of the lapdogs participate.

I ask again, in her absense, who will replace her POV ? We have myriad in the press corps who ask right-wing queries. Not so many who come from the left.

[Donkey]

I don't agree with what she said, and I think the apology was appropriate.

Here is an interesting take: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/sally_quinn/2010/06/helen.html

[Michael]

You seem to have forgotten how she was back-benched during the Bush years and ignored for the most part.
This merely references the fact that President Bush didn't call on Helen Thomas for questions during Presidential press conferences.

That hardly prevented Ms. Thomas from reporting honestly about the White House, or shut her up. Heck, being a reporter for the Hearst newspaper chain, she's had her own big media platform for decades.

I did not mean to infer that Helen did not play games, only that she did not play " that " game of which most of the lapdogs participate.
But the fact is that this episode proves that she played "that game" all along. She NEVER questioned or mentioned or attacked this 'sacred cow' (US support for Israel) - until the very end when she freaked out and went off script.

Fact is, Ms. Thomas has been on 'on script' for a long time. That's why going 'off script' is so shocking to everyone involved.

I ask again, in her absense, who will replace her POV ? We have myriad in the press corps who ask right-wing queries. Not so many who come from the left.
The rightwing slant of the US media is a well documented phenonenum.

And Presidential press conferences are the very definition of "scripted" propaganda - or 'media event'. There is no substance there, only 'showboating'.

On that basis, I don't see how the politics of any of the stenographers sent to those events matters one whit at all.

White House press conferences are nothing more than a 'perk' for high ranking media time-servers. It is a tradition that they will fight to the death to continue, but from a public policy point of view, White House press conferences are pretty much useless.

[Michael]

I don't agree with what she said, and I think the apology was appropriate.

Here is an interesting take: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/sally_quinn/2010/06/helen.html

You can't be serious citing Sally Quinn! :eek:

She's the Queen of the Washington 'village idiots' club. She has a long history of raising irrelevant bullshit to high drama. She's been long obsessed with the Clinton marriage, Al Gore's earthtone sweaters and Obama's personal detachment.

Those are big and important issues for Sally Quinn.

So yes, I'm just shooting the messenger here. That bitch deserves nothing but contempt. Along with Maureen Dowd, she is indeed, symbolic of everything that is rotten in US media, where style trumps substance.

In case anyone is curious, Sally Quinn was the origin of the "its not your town" meme against the arrival of the Clinton Administration. She was in her glory during the muck-raking years of the Clinton Admin. She LOVES scandals that play against the left (regardless if they are real or imagined).

Sally Quinn has never met a Democratic party scandal that she doesn't love. If it is related to the Democrats, she's going to attack it.