Helen Thomas Blasts White House Control Of Press
“Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this
presidency.”
-U.S. President Barack Obama, January 21, 2009, upon signing executive orders relating to ethics guidelines for staff members of his administration
It appears the Obama administration is having a hard time convincing legendary journalist and prominent symbol of the liberal media Helen Thomas, who has been a correspondent for 57 years and has covered every president since JFK, that this is indeed the case these days.
From MyFOX Dallas/Fort Worth yesterday:
During the daily press briefing on Wednesday, some reporters asked whether the White House staged questions at President Obama’s Wednesday Town Hall meeting on health care.
On its Web site, the White House had asked Americans to submit questions to the president via social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The White House says hundreds of entries were received.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the White House would “screen” submissions — and pick some for the president to answer at his town hall in Virginia. But at least two reporters told Gibbs this amounted to choosing questions, which would just make Obama look good.
“This is an open forum for the public to ask question,” said Chip Reid of CBS News. “But it’s not really open?”
“Based on what?” responded Gibbs.
“Based on the information … on how the audience and the questions are being selected,” said Reid.
“How about this: I promise we will interrupt the AP’s tradition of asking the first question. I’ll let you ask me a question tomorrow on whether you thought the questions at the town hall meeting that the President conducted at Annandale….”
“That’s not his point,” interrupted Helen Thomas, correspondent for Hearst Newspapers. “That’s, that’s not his point. His point is the control from here. We have never had that in the White House. I’m amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and control.
“You have left open the suggestion that you are pumping the answers,” Thomas continued. “It’s shocking. It’s really shocking.”
“Let’s have this discussion at the conclusion of the town hall meeting,” Gibbs said.
“No, no, no. We are having it now.” claimed Thomas. “It’s a pattern. It’s a pattern. It isn’t the question. It’s a pattern of controlling the press.”
CNS News’ Fred Lucas and Penny Starr added the following:
Following a testy exchange during Wednesday’s briefing with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told CNSNews.com that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press the way President Obama is trying to control the press.
“Nixon didn’t try to do that,” Thomas said. “They couldn’t control (the media). They didn’t try.”
“What the hell do they think we are, puppets?” Thomas said. “They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them.”
What’s next? A fake press conference?
Thomas/White House Exchange
MyFOX Dallas/Fort Worth Video Link
Sources:
“Helen Thomas, Reporter Grill Gibbs”
MyFOX Dallas/Fort Worth, July 2, 2009
“Helen Thomas: Not Even Nixon Tried to Control the Media Like Obama”
Fred Lucas, Penny Starr
CNSNews.com, July 1, 2009














