Woot! Helen Thomas wrote back to me! (Letter + reply enclosed)

[rpgamerd00d]

-----Original Message-----
I wanted to email you to tell you that I greatly appreciate your tenacity in the White House press room, and your ability and skill to bring the hard questions to this administration. I have a question and a followup question that I would like you to ask the President next time he takes questions (this would not work well if it is asked to Scott McClellan).

Q: "What is your relationship with the group called Project for a New American Century, and why is it that your policies here and abroad match perfectly with their agenda, including using a terrorist attack on the United States to prompt a pre-emptive war in the middle east?"

Followup question when he denies knowing who PNAC is:

Q: "Followup question, sir: If you know nothing about this radical organization, then how is it that VP Dick Cheney, your brother Jeb Bush, your Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, your friend Paul Wolfowitz, and other members of your administration and the Republican Party are the people responsible for founding this group, and how is it that your domestic and foriegn policy EXACTLY MATCHES the agenda of this radical group?"

Helen, I feel that this 1-2 punch will expose his connection to PNAC, and more importantly, point the media to PNAC and its founders and their agenda which the Bush Administration seems to be using as its playbook.

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to REAL journalism in this country.

--- her reply ---

I think it's a great question; but I doubt I'll have a chance to ask it - but I'll try
-helent

[soothsayer]

1. Great! I loved that question, and would LOVE to see her ask it.

[rsmith6621]

2. Deserving of a Kick and Rec.......

I hope she ask it.....I want to see a monkey sweat.

[400Years]

3. cool, good questions too

[highplainsdem]

4. K&R. Wonderful reply from her, & that was a great question & followup

you suggested. Kudos!

[LibDemAlways]

5. Excellent. I think she was sort of

dancing around PNAC when she asked the chimp the other day why we are in Iraq. She mentioned PNAC on Blitzer's show later, so she clearly knows about it. Her response to you indicates that she doesn't expect to be asking any more questions soon, though. I suspect if she did ask your question, there would be a sudden terrorist threat to the WH and everyone would immediately be evacuated.

[NewWaveChick1981]

6. Wow! I love it when things like that happen!

She's a busy journalist, but she at least took the time to reply to you. Your questions are excellent, btw, and I know she's probably thought about them too. Don't be surprised if she asks them. :)

Helen's the kind of journalist we need.

[Memory Container]

7. Good question... but she'd have to ask it more carefully than that

To say, "including using a terrorist attack on the United States to prompt a pre-emptive war in the middle east" would give the rest of the press license to sideline her brutally. And, more importantly, it would give the 'president' an easy out through feigned indignation.

"Helen, I cant even begin to believe that you just suggested that we would attack ourselves... I'll take serious questions from someone else now."

[helderheid]

8. YES! K & R!

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

9. While I'll agree it's a great question,

and Helen Thomas is the only person in the room with the "balls" to ask it, do honestly think President Chucklenuts would even attempt to answer it?

[melissinha]

13. I disagree

David Gregory would too.... but thats about it....

[Hissyspit]

24. Even if he DOESN'T answer or attempt to answer the question, how

he responds is still very telling. Many won't get it, but many will.

[Lasher]

10. Still Playing Softball

Here is a Media Matters segment on the March 21 press conference. I think you will like it, especially since it provides some followup questions that should have been asked, after Helen got through beating Dubya up.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200603230010

[The Wielding Truth]

54. Lasher, this is amazing. Great link!

I wish that a strong a fearless truth seeker will put these questions to Bush publicly.Let some light in to this corrupt administration.

[Minnesota Libra]

11. GOOD GOING - I love Helen Thomas - she is an idol to........

.....every freedom loving person.:loveya:

[saracat]

12. They only ask questions that the public can relate to.

Most people don't know what PNAC is. What point would there be to ask it? I don't think this would make him uncomfortable. He probably barely know what PNAC is. It isn't as if he is informed or litwerate.

[lebkuchen]

14. PNAC was mentioned in Stars & Stripes letters

If PNAC can be mentioned more than once in a military paper, it's an indication PNAC is becoming more "household" and pertinent to Americans' understanding of Bush's game plan. It's the media that needs to catch up with American savvy, and Helen's the person to wake up her colleagues.

See:

Grim reminder of the future
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31014&archive=true

(PNAC) Document is a must-read
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31310&archive=true

"Must read" writer is a patriot
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31344&archive=true

[slipslidingaway]

45. Thanks for posting these letters! n/t

[Sticky]

15. Helen Thomas is a wasted resource

With all her experience and knowledge she would be a great replacement for Charlie Rose or any other show host elite. She's withering away in the press room waiting for crumbs - it's demeaning to her and a loss to the American people.

[Gregorian]

16. Excellent. Right on.

Come on Helen. You can do it. Let's finally break this dam. I can't believe it hasn't been asked yet.

[King Coal]

17. This is the most interesting post I've seen in a while. Good job!

[timber84]

18. I emailed her a big thank you and

she sent one back. What a gal!

[Bozita]

30. Helen usually answers all of her email -- Whatta gal!

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

32. Me too! I thanked her for her professionalism, etc. and she took time...

to write back. A true national treasure. What a wonderful woman!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

19. Oh boo, you didn't agree with my suggestion when you last

posted this. I think leaving in including using a terrorist attack on the United States to prompt a pre-emptive war in the middle east? will only give him an opportunity to say: If you are suggesting that I, or any other president, would purposely be behind an attack on the US I am sickened and appalled! or something to that effect.

I love the first part, stopping at "...agenda?"

[madokie]

20. Good questions, and I doubt that the blivet will call on her again

seeing as how he is scared shitless of her.

[stellanoir]

21. good for you

She sent me this in response to my current writing that I sent her last week and I was on cloud 9 for days.

"Thanks, loved your piece; highly literary and inspiring; I'll give it a lot
of thought-helent"

I intended to thank her for responding but am sure that her inbox is maxed out this week so I may wait for her birthday if I can resist the urge to do so for that long. What a class act.

[Oakland]

55. I sent her a thank you, I think you are great e-mail, too.

I also got a response. My inclination was to thank her for her thank you; but I thought that was overkill and a waste of her time. I will save her e-mail address for future, however. What a really great lady. Can you imagine how much of her time it must have taken to respond to all of us.

[DemReadingDU]

22. Excellent, Thank you for sharing!

[Hissyspit]

23. Too cool. Send it to David Gregory, too.

Maybe he will ask it. It didn't occur to me to send it to anyone when I read it here the other day. Good job! You are a true:

:patriot:

[FlaGranny]

25. While she might have a chance

to ask the first question, she couldn't ask the second one. She is not allowed a followup. Her mic gets turned off as soon as she finished the first question. He'll just give a confusing non-answer. It would be a great question and followup, though.

[Sydnie]

26. That would be just awesome!

:woohoo: Go Helen Go!

[Patsy Stone]

27. Great question

and so cool that she responded!

:thumbsup: and :loveya:, Helen!

[highnooner]

28. Well, he certainly won't be calling on her now

that you have let the cat out of the bag on this forum. LOL!

[bigwillq]

29. WOO HOO!

That's great.
Those are very good questions.
I hope Helen gets around to asking them.
Helen rocks!

:bounce:

[kimpossible]

31. Help send Helen a mountain of roses!

Remember when we showered Barbara Boxer with a roomful of roses? Help do the same to thank and encourage Helen Thomas in this thread -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x733987

[npincus]

33. Wow! great question and congrats on getting the reply!

[Lochloosa]

34. Got my response today: Text below

My email to her:

Ms. Thomas,

I just want to thank you for asking the hard questions during bush's new
conferences.

Please, keep after him about his ties to the PNAC. I really believe this is the silent secret of this administration. If more people understood the goals of this orginization it would scare them to death.

Again, thanks for your HARD work.

Her Response:

Thanks; all the ideologues are vanishing or taking cover after their tragic folly-helent

Helen Thomas <[e-mail] >

Let her know how you feel.

[Nothing Without Hope]

35. She's cited the PNAC before, one of the very few who dare.

Outstanding question, and posting it here for us made it feel like she answered us ALL! Great to know she's open to these suggestions. She's been one of the few to speak of the PNAC, which is, of course, one of the many reasons why she's rarely allowed to ask a question.

Here's a December thread on Helen Thomas citing the PNAC:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5544182

[fooj]

38. I was honored when I received a reply from her. I know how you feel.

I was beside myself when she put the PNAC out there on The Situation Room! If anyone has the moxy to ask it...she will!

Peace.

[Imagevision]

36. Bush response? - Simple- Rove lesson #1 - Lie & deny as usual...!

[Stinky The Clown]

37. Helen has always answered her e-mail ......

Sparkly had written to her way back before the 2000 elections and she answered. And several times since then, too.

[DFW]

39. She came to my dad's memorial service

five years ago in Washington. Alone and shuffling along, but unbowed.
She was a great admirer of my dad's, as he was of her. They represent
a generation of journalists the likes of which no longer seem to exist
in the print media. I hope she lives to be 100.

[helderheid]

welcome to DU :)

[helderheid]

49. welcome to DU :)

[w8liftinglady]

53. welcome to DU-a lot of Texans here

:hi:

[rman]

40. A treasure she is. nt

[Virginian]

41. She replied to me, too.

I said:

Subject: Thanks for trying to get the truth from a stone.

Keep trying. The truth has to break through some day.

I appreciate your efforts.

Her reply:

thanks, helent

[nicknameless]

42. Excellent!

:thumbsup:

[rateyes]

43. That woman is a goddess!!

Helen T. 2008!

[Pirate Smile]

44. You should send this question to some other reporters who may

have a better chance of actually getting to ask Bush because it really needs to happen.

You could send it to David Gregory OR you could send it to the AP person who always gets to ask the first question in any press conference or meeting, etc. where questions are taken from reporters.

Frequently, after Bush meets with a foreign leader they will each take (only) two questions. It would be great to get this out there.

Great question!

edit to add - you could even e-mail Helen and ask if she could show it to the AP correspondent. She may not want to because it is such a kick-ass question but I also think she probably recognizes the importance of having the question be asked regardless of who does the asking.

[Minnesota_Lib]

46. Wow, as busy as she is it is super cool she reads and responds...

..to e-mails from us "regular folk." She is amazing and I pray she lives to be 150 and retires at 149 1/2.:)

[tom_paine]

47. K & R

[FourScore]

48. FABULOUS!!!!

That is an awesome question. Come to think of it, I wonder why no one has asked ANYONE in the administration that question yet. Cool that Helen replied, too.

[Maat]

50. Wow. I stand in awe!

The Great Lady communicated directly with you!

:patriot:

:toast:

[roguevalley]

51. I once wrote to her and thanked her for her courage in a world that

had grown so dark. I wrote I feared the idiots in charge and felt despair that war was coming. She thanked me and said 'they love war too much'. What a great lady.

[Alamom]

52. She does answer. I sent a note of appreciation & she replied.n/t

[freefall]

56. OK if I give her flowers and say they are from all of us?

A couple of years ago I was having dinner with my family in a small restaurant frequented by Helen Thomas. Ms. Thomas was there having dinner with a couple of other people. I wanted to tell her how much I appreciated her efforts to speak truth to power but I didn't want to interrupt as they were deep in conversation. So I wrote a little note about how much I appreciated work to preserve and protect democracy and as we walked out of the restaurant I left the note on her table with a whispered thank you.

My family paused outside the restaurant to say our goodbyes before we went our separate ways. First, a waiter came running out to ask us to wait a moment and then Helen Thomas moving a little more slowly came out to thank me for the note and tell me that I had made her day. Tears are coming to my eyes as I remember the incident because tears were in her eyes. She told me that there were people making her life difficult due to her outspokenness. I left Washington last year but will be back for a visit next week. I intend to buy a bouquet and deliver it either to Helen in person or to ask the restaurant to hold it for her. (She is like family there and I am sure that won't be a problem.) I am going to say that it is from all of us at DU.

Is that OK with everyone -- or at least the majority? It also occurred to me that I can print out some of your complimentary comments and deliver them as well but I thought flowers would brighten her day.

Did you know that she was 85 years old? She is truly remarkable.

:)

Peace,

freefall

[itzamirakul]

57. Sounds wonderful to me!

What a great idea! Certainly you have MY permission and my thanks for the opportunity to be included in showing appreciation to Ms. Thomas.

I only hope that she knows that there are hundreds of thousands of Liberal Progressives out here who support her journalistic independence and who thank her for her bravery and constancy. We are out here, we are just not reported on, so it appears that there aren't many of us.

[freefall]

59. Your's will be one of the comments I give to her. Thanks itzamirakul! n/t

[KalicoKitty]

58. I tried to write her and received a Delivery Status Notification.

I sent her a message saying:

"You truly were awesome and was so good to see Mr. Bush squirm and stutter.

And, keep those questions going!!"


I sent it to: [e-mail]

Could I please have her current e-mail address? Thank you!

I sent her a birthday greeting last August, and she replied. She is such a great woman!

[GrantDem]

60. [e-mail]

Looks like you forgot the "t"