I love Helen Thomas. She is a reminder of what reporters and jounalists used to value - getting to the strait facts and informing the public about things that powerfull people would rather you not know. In an amusing diary posted last week,
Move over Chucknorrisfacts.com! Here's Helen Thomas Facts!, I commented that "only the pure of heart can withstand direct eye contact with the tip of Helen Thomas' pen". Well, now I realize that she doesn't even need a pen to perform a complete dissection of heartless hacks the likes of Hugh Hewitt. Listen to her here being interviewed by Mr. Hewitt about the Cheney shooting by this wingnut bozo as he tries to blame the media for the way they are covering the incident.
Links on the flip...
Listen
(02-15thomas.mp3) to the audio from Radio Blogger and you will hear the difference between a wingnut hack and a liberal journalist who actually has professional standards. You can also read the transcript
here.
Some of my favorite bits:
HH: But I'm getting back to the point that you and your colleagues in the press room, you really don't like Dick Cheney or George Bush at all, do you?
HT: I didn't say that. I certainly respect the presidency. I don't like their...what they've done. I don't like the war per se. I certainly don't like torture. I don't like the degradation of America.
HH: Helen, but you don't like them, do you? I mean honestly.
HT: What the hell's that got to do with it?
HH: I think it matters...
HT: No, I consider myself a very straight and fair reporter.
HH: Well, I didn't say you weren't.
HT: I judge these people on their actions. Do you?
Apparently Mr Hewitt thinks one has to "like" Bushco in order to be a fair journalist.
Then Helen Thomas roundhouse kicks him with these comments on his "journalism"
HT: Are you a journalist?
HH: Yes.
HT: Do you think we should know the news when it happens? And are you interested in the news?
HH: Yes, yes.
HT: Then why would you think it's best to wait 18 hours, affecting a public figure, who could make decisions for our country, war and peace?
And my favorite exchange:
HH: And you guys took out Nixon, didn't you?
HT: What do you mean?
HH: I mean, you got rid of Nixon.
HT: He took out...he took out himself.
HH: Oh, come on. Woodward and Bernstein helped, didn't they?
HT: Every reporter helped to find out the truth.
HH: Right.
HT: Are you against that?
HH: No, I'm just...
HT: Who are you?
HH: I...
HT: Who am I talking to?
HH: Hugh Hewitt.
HT: Am I talking to a journalist?
HH: Yes. Yes, for a long time. I'm just curious about what's gone wrong...
HT: Tell me about your career. What have you really done?
HH: Well, it's not nearly as impressive as you.
HT: Where did...yes, it's...it's very important to me. Where did you work?
HH: PBS for ten years.
HT: PBS?
HH: Yes.
HT: Well, that's a good credential.
HH: There you have it. See? I'm...
HT: But then you decided to switch over?
HH: To switch over to what?
HT: God knows what you are.
One more bit (out of many):
HT: And I don't think it's your business who I voted for.
HH: All right.
HT: And I don't think you have the right to ask anybody that question.
HH: Why not? It's a free press, isn't it?
HT: Well, it's not a fair question. It's...
HH: You want to censor my questions?
HT: It's a secret ballot.
HH: Of course. You don't have to answer, but why should you censor my questions?
HT: Because you are looking for trouble, that's why. You're not asking legitimate questions. That has nothing to do with the current situation. That's why.
HH: It's actually just...
HT: You have an undercurrent campaign going on in your own mind.
::
HT: Okay, well why are you attacking?
HH: I'm not attacking.
HT: Why don't you just act like a journalist and quit all this stuff, you know?
HH: Well, that would be to...you want me to join the guild.
HT: Why don't you stick to the news and the facts?
After more of this behavior, as she begins to realize that Mr. Hewitt has no jounalistic interest in the truth about Abu Graib, WMD lies and the lives of those damaged or killed in Iraq, or any of the facts that dont like Bushco, Helen Thomas
hangs up on the bastard!
Ha!