Helen Thomas died at the age of 92, and after a long and glorious career as Washington’s pioneer female journalists.
Known for her cutting and to-the-point questions, Helen Thomas sat at the front row of many a White House Press Briefing, and patiently waited her turn before blasting out her question in that funny nasal voice of hers.
But what Helen Thomas will be remembered for are her “firsts:” according to Wikipedia, she “was the first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and the first female member of the Gridiron Club.”
Sadly, Ms. Thomas will be remembered for her last comment while still a working member of the press. Helen said that Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine” and go home to “Poland, Germany and America and everywhere else.”
Ouch.
With that single remark, all of the good will and preferences given to Helen Thomas over the years dropped away. But if you think about it, and separate the specifics of the remark from the style, that it made you cringe was pure Helen Thomas.
She was forced to resign after that comment.
Helen Thomas never dies. She just talks on and on.
Stay tuned.