The Grand Dame of American Journalism, Helen Thomas, again spoke truth to power in an interview with her niece, Suzanne Geha, of NBC's Grand Rapids station, WOOD-TV. Ms. Thomas, born of Lebanese parents, made a sleeper cameo appearance in the short of President Clinton's final White House days.
Pulling no punches, the ever direct and gracious "Lady Helen" characterized the current Bush administration as the "most secretive" she has reported in her 40 professional years, calling Iraq a "debacle," and leaving the U.S.'s only option to "cakewalk out," a wry and penetrating critique of the fascist PNAC'r Kenneth Adleman's 2002 incendiary bravado that "demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk...This President Bush does not need to amass rinky-dink nations as ‘coalition partners' to convince the Washington establishment that we're right."
Adelman is a member of the Defense Policy Board, a federal advisory committee to the United States Department of Defense that is charged with serving "the public interest by providing the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary for Policy with independent, informed advice and opinion concerning major matters of defense policy. It will focus upon long-term, enduring issues central to strategic planning for the Department of Defense and will be responsible for research and analysis of topics, long or short range, addressed to it by the Secretary of Defense."
Helluvajob, Adelman!
Ms. Thomas noted that neo-cons like Adelman are jumping ship to "safe housing" like university think-tanks.
Describing her take on American journalism, she noted that the charge of the fourth estate is for "basic truth" and to "keep people informed" as the people have a right "to know most everything."
Ronald Reagan made "liberal" a four-letter word, a legacy that lives to this day. She assails Bush 43 for "fabrications" and "showing no coffins" of our courageous departed military, noting "everything he said was untrue...(it's) incredible that we've been lead into this quagmire."
For now, her lament is that "you can lose your credibility and remain president" while noting in contrast that the journalistic ideals are "credibility, honesty and speaking to the people."
It's our (hopefully transitory) lament, too, Ms. Thomas.
Her desire is to "spread peace and freedom" and judging by those who demonstrated support by showering her with roses - it is a message that resonates.
In acknowledgement, she wrote to her supporters:
"Blessed are the peacemakers. The bounty of beautiful roses from such wonderful people has lifted my heart and will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Thank you for caring that others may live.
Helen Thomas
Columnist, Hearst Newspapers"
As you, and the principles for which you so firmly stand, remain in ours, dear Grand Dame Thomas.
