See that empty seat front and center? That was Helen Thomas' official seat in the White House press pool, the only such designation in the press room. It was given to her in honor of her 57 years of covering presidential press conferences.
In the wake of her resignation, three news services are vying to take Thomas' seat: Fox News Channel, Bloomberg and NPR.
But let's be honest: giving Fox News Channel--the same outlet that elevated Breitbart's ACORN and Sherrod scandals to national prominence, that continues to push the NBPP non-story, that employs that inciter of insanity, Glenn Beck--the seat is a slap in the face to any American who actually cares about news.
Credo Action is asking progressives to contact the White House Correspondents Association and ask them to not award Fox News Helen Thomas' seat. From an email sent to members:
We need help.
There's a new front where we can chip away at the perceived legitimacy of FOX as a news organization.
The White House Correspondents Association is scheduled to decide in a Monday meeting which news outlet will get the White House press briefing room front row seat vacated recently by Helen Thomas. (we're trying to confirm reports that this meeting has been moved up a day to Sunday. more on that when we get better info.)
Three organizations are vying for this seat: FOX, NPR and Bloomberg News. [..]
We need your help. CREDO launched a campaign yesterday morning to call attention to this and already 140,000 people have signed our petition. We are faxing and working on petition deliveries to the board members and executive director of the organization in advance of their meeting. The petition is here: http://www.credoaction.com/campaign/fox_or_npr/
"Joe the Voter" at OpEd News has a boilerplate letter that you may want to use to send in your name:
White House Correspondents' Association
600 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20037
202-266-7453 (v)
202-266-7454 (f )
Julia Whiston, Executive Director.Do not give Helen Thomas' seat to FOX !
They are NOT news...they are a politically motivated racist organization who lie, distort and deceive viewers to promote a specific political agenda. They have FCC complaints filed against them for using their "news" status contrary to federal rules against bias and distortion in the news. The recent scandals where Fox assisted in slander and personal attacks against blacks such as Shirley Sherrod, Van Jones and Acorn all indicate their inability to present news using accepted and honorable journalistic standards.
Putting FOX in that chair would be a black mark on your organization as it would amount to an acceptance of their extreme distortions as being the equal of your other distinguished members.
Respectfully,
[ Add your name and fax or email from their web site http://www.whca.net/contact.htm ]
What is the point of the daily briefings anymore? It's a giant spin session peppered with the self important musings of the Villagers.
...Amy Goodman?
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
n/t
...a ("different person" from a "different news organization" every day)...?
"rotating reporters"
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no there would be some interesting questions.
....the fools do not realize,a population that can ,..... not paticipate .............in the 'economy'...,can not keep it viable!..........."we are listening,.......and we're not blind.,......this is your life....this is your time."
Mike would definetly set it off. There would never be a dull day with Mike front row lol. Gibbs would be sweating bullets.
But what's the question, it's between one racist, hate mongering, anti administration, twenty four seven, teabag channel, a financial network which assisted in the theft of billions, and NPR.
Don't tell me they can't figure this out.
...that Glenn Beck hasn't had his hand up.
(pick me! pick me!)
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Could you imagine Beck in the front row crying, foaming at the mouth, sitting there with his handheld chalk board?
...that I, (like Robert Gibbs) ...get to pick who asks the president questions.
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Unless the recipient of Helen's old seat is going to be kicking ass and taking names instead of being just another Villager (following FOX News' lead is just as bad as having FOX News sitting there, when you think about it) ... then it's just another day in the distortion factory.
There should be a little press room especially for Fox, equipped suitably:
sandbox
lots of Kleenex
bottles of bile
buckets of monkey poo
soundproof the hell out of it
diaper changing station
time-out corner for anyone daring to speak the truth
hot line to Limbaugh
... John Boehner didn't want to give up his office.
But...but if they don't give the seat to Fox, then they may get mad at them and say mean things!
No Body Particularly Ponders..?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
...should get the chair.
Colbert one day, then John Oliver, then Stewart...
(Chant loudly):
Steven Coal Bear...deserves the chair!
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Remember the person, not the chair.
Oh I forgot. The Obama administration basically threw Helen Thomas under the bus like they did Van Jones and Shirley Sherrod. Hard to keep up with all these trends. It would be a real slap to her career in my opinion if her seat went to Fox News. Would be symbolic of the way things have gone in this country since the election of 2000.
Too bad it won't go to a real journalist either way. My vote if for Peter Phillips from over at http://www.ProjectCensored.org
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
That decision is made by the WH Correspondents Association. THEY base the seating assignments for the first 2 or 3 rows on readership numbers and television viewership ratings. Since FOX beats all other cable "news" outlets they 'could' be moved to the front row, but NBC still beats them all. So, maybe Chuckles the Toddler could get that seat.
My personal preference is to have the White House remove that seat and present it to Helen as a gift. THEN replace it with a laptop desk for rotating bloggers.
Jeff Gannon.
Tony Robbins.
Pastor Melissa Scott.
Reggie Watts.
Prince Anhalt.
Lady Gaga.
C'mon! The WH Press Corp is a sham. It doen't matter who they give the damn seat to. Jeez, give it Andrew Breitbart, fer christs sake.
belongs to a news organization, not Fox and there are several others I could list.
FOX "news" should not be given any chair in the room, nor be allowed to interview any member of the administration on or off the record. If they gripe simply explain that such privileges are only given to journalists, and FOX may qualify in the future whenever they demonstrate themselves to be practicing that profession.
The President, the White House staff and the Democratic party are under no obligation whatsoever to acknowledge FOX as anything other than that which they have demonstrated themselves to be - a purely partisan propaganda outlet.
"In theory theory and practice are alike. In practice they are very different."
No organization that has done that deserves ANY seat in the press pool.
Fox News gets okay to misinform public, court ruling
Thanks for spending so much time and energy on a completely worthless initiative. No wonder the Dems are so powerless.
Do you really think Fox News should be legitimized in this way?
Nicole,
Respectfully, I certainly will not argue that FOX is a legitimate news organization.
I would sign a petition a day if it were aimed at calling the Republicans on their serial lying and obfuscation. I have not seen such petitions.
I just don't think a petition like this is worth the time it took to write it. FOX is already in the room. They are legitimized by that fact, and by their numbers. A high school fight over who gets the front row is sophomoric and distracts from the machine-like advances of the Neocons, whose whole strategy is centered around scattering progressives to the four winds and forcing them to tilt at imaginary windmills in order to keep the debate from the real issues.
In short, it's getting a bit late for a game of musical chairs.
bends over I won't even be shocked if Fox get's that seat.
It's not the administration's decision to make, but that of the White House Correspondents' Association. Full disclosure: I made the same mistake when I posted my comment above. :-/
"In theory theory and practice are alike. In practice they are very different."
...and just never call on them when they raise their hand.
(like press secretaries always did to Helen)
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
http://www.gossipcop.com/paris-hilton-nazi-sa...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I signed the petition and sent this comment,
"We know for a fact that Fox News is a Republican/Conservative propaganda network that promotes lies, hate fear and violence in trying to divide the American people in their evil jihad against Democrats.
They should be exposed as a terrorist organization, not rewarded as a legitimate News outlet."
If I do listen to news, it is on NPR. They deserve a front row seat.
"Let's talk dirty to the animals"
Give it to Bush's homosexual prostitute Jeff Gannon.
And make him use that name.
Rotate them either weekly or monthly or whatever, Show some recognition to the NEW (accurate) media! Enough with those blow dried millionaire stenographers!
Put FOX outside, across the street with Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood. FOX has less news bona fides than they do, so I hope they aren't insulted.
If the White House gives this seat to Fox "News" I will never never never be on the side of the whitehouse again. They better have the balls to not give this seat to Fox. I can't say it any clearer than that.
Well it's not the white house, but the white house correspondents association who will decide who the seat goes to. Anyone know who those people are?
Well ... NPR's not as bad as Fox yet - but they're working on it.
The seat should go to NPR and I signed the petition and shared.
*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRKVXG3DV-I
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
So how much are Murdoch and Ailes willing to PAY for this seat?? $1 BILLION should be the price... AND, Cluster-Fox should not qualify because they aren't a NEWS ORGANIZATION. They are copy readers and spin guys.. OR, you can just send them to prison...
o_O When I first heard that Fox wanted the seat, I thought it was a joke.. I can't believe it's real. You might as well bring back Jeff Gannon.
...for the White House. They've got to go with FoxNews. Once they choose Fox, the entire Republican Party will understand that Obama is a non-partisan superhero and begin cooperating with the president on his entire agenda. That will usher in an era of unprecedented good feeling and Obama will be free to devote more time to his pet issues -- expanding presidential power and shredding civil liberties. Apparently, one of Obama's unannounced priorities is to make sure that there's nothing left of the Fourth Amendment by the time he leaves office. That will be his little homage to that other great civil libertarian George W. Bush.
On a more serious note, the Obama Administration needs to learn the difference between appeasement and conciliation. Conciliation is worthwhile, appeasement is dysfunctional. Republicans are selfish bullies that will never be placated. You would think that lesson would have been clear to them after the first 25 times the GOP kicked them in the balls.
"We will find fulfillment not in the goods that we have, but in the good we can do for each other."
Robert F. Kennedy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV1LWhNpTJU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpgkXQ3Lquk
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Fox will be flashing the cash in order to secure that chair, and I would be willing to bet money they will get it.
My choice, Sam Stein of the Huffington Post.
She was pushed, because she happened to voice an opinion about the Israeli/Palestinian situation, which was not sufficiently Zionist enough.
It was then edited, repeated out of context, until she was branded some sort of anti-Semite, and then she was pushed out of that chair with her credibility and reputation irreparably scarred.
Or, we could just say "she resigned". Sure. Let's go with that.
so I'm sure they had a little hand in her back helping them shove her out.
Draw straws and whoever gets the short one sits in the seat for that day.
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