Press Conference of the President [Bush vs Helen Thomas]

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Helen [Thomas]. After that brilliant performance at the Grid Iron, I am – (laughter.)

Q You’re going to be sorry. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Well, then, let me take it back. (Laughter.)

Q I’d like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet – your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth – what was your real reason? You have said it wasn’t oil – quest for oil, it hasn’t been Israel, or anything else. What was it?

THE PRESIDENT: I think your premise – in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist – is that – I didn’t want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect –

Q Everything –

THE PRESIDENT: Hold on for a second, please.

This exchange goes on. The transcript is here:
whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060321-4.html

The full video is here.

This was the second press conference the President has held this year.
 
President Bush, from where I sit, showed the world the intellecutal dishonesty of the majority of the MSM press today.
 
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Geldain:
President Bush, from where I sit, showed the world the intellecutal dishonesty of the majority of the MSM press today.
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That’s not so difficult to do…just give them a microphone! 😃

Lisa
 
😃 Is Mr. Bush now reduced to “sparring” with an 85 year old woman? Why now? Weren’t there any 84 year olds available?:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Okay, okay. Seriously. Why call on her now after ignoring her for so long?
 
Thekla said:
😃 Is Mr. Bush now reduced to “sparring” with an 85 year old woman? Why now? Weren’t there any 84 year olds available?:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Okay, okay. Seriously. Why call on her now after ignoring her for so long?
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From where I sit, Bush wanted to give the press a chance to show their true colors. Helen Thomas was perfect. She dislikes Bush intensely, makes no bones about it. Had she handled herself with some semblance of professionalism there would have been no incident.

From where I sit, Bush got exactly what he wanted. Had she not obliged him I’m gonna guess he had a plan B, C and D handy. Not unusual, Presidents have been doing this with the White House press corps for ages.
 
Actually, she gets called on regularly, even though she shouldn’t be. She no longer works for a major news organization, and she has lost her mind.

Thekla said:
😃 Is Mr. Bush now reduced to “sparring” with an 85 year old woman? Why now? Weren’t there any 84 year olds available?:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Okay, okay. Seriously. Why call on her now after ignoring her for so long?
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rlg94086:
Actually, she gets called on regularly, even though she shouldn’t be. She no longer works for a major news organization, and she has lost her mind.
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Mr. Bush has not called on her in years. Why now?
 
I don’t think that’s correct, but I will try to find earlier press conferences to demonstrate that. I know McClellan calls on her, because I’ve made note of her moronic questions, in the past.
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Thekla:
Mr. Bush has not called on her in years. Why now?
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I will concede the point…I tried to search through Presidential Press Conferences, but it’s difficult to tell. He doesn’t always call names, but I didn’t see Helen mentioned at least through the beginning of 2005.

As far as why now, who knows? Maybe he needed a good laugh. Since Cindy Sheehan isn’t part of the White House Press Corps, Helen Thomas may be the only way to get a complete crackpot question.
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rlg94086:
I don’t think that’s correct, but I will try to find earlier press conferences to demonstrate that. I know McClellan calls on her, because I’ve made note of her moronic questions, in the past.
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rlg94086:
I will concede the point…I tried to search through Presidential Press Conferences, but it’s difficult to tell. He doesn’t always call names, but I didn’t see Helen mentioned at least through the beginning of 2005.

As far as why now, who knows? Maybe he needed a good laugh. Since Cindy Sheehan isn’t part of the White House Press Corps, Helen Thomas may be the only way to get a complete crackpot question.
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Maybe he wanted to pick a fight with the media. It looks like it’s been more than three years since he called on her. Here’s a quote from her from January 24, 2006 after a press conference where he didn’t call on her. What a hoot!******

“He’s a coward,” Thomas said afterward. “He’s supposed to be this macho guy. He’ll take on Osama bin Laden, but he won’t take me on.”
 
I don’t think it is a matter of cowardice. Did you read her question? It reads like it was asked by a high school ‘C’ student.
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Thekla:
Maybe he wanted to pick a fight with the media. It looks like it’s been more than three years since he called on her. Here’s a quote from her from January 24, 2006 after a press conference where he didn’t call on her. What a hoot!****

**“He’s a coward,” Thomas said afterward. “He’s supposed to be this macho guy. He’ll take on Osama bin Laden, but he won’t take me on.” ******
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rlg94086:
I don’t think it is a matter of cowardice. Did you read her question? It reads like it was asked by a high school ‘C’ student.
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:rotfl:And it was answered by a college “C” student!

But I have no idea if it was cowardice or not. However, I’m not sure if she’s right about him being willing to take on Osama bin Laden.
 
Thekla said:
:rotfl:And it was answered by a college “C” student!

But I have no idea if it was cowardice or not.
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So - he’s either a coward for not calling on her - or he’s “Picking on an 85 year old”?
 
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Adonis33:
So - he’s either a coward for not calling on her - or he’s “Picking on an 85 year old”?
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I never said “picking on an 85 year old.” I said “sparring with and 85 year old.” For some reason the fact that he picks now to do so seems funny to me.
 
Wow - what a nice thing to say - “Never loose the reverence”???

Thanks for adding nothing to this thread.
 
Thekla said:
:rotfl:And it was answered by a college “C” student!
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Doh! 🙂 Hole-in-one for Thekla…I teed that one up for you perfectly. :tiphat:
 
Time to stop the name calling. Please discuss the content of the Q&A in the OP or don’t post. Thank you for your cooperation.
 
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