Crazy Aunt Bethany of the White House Press Corps Has Really Stepped in It This Time

Helen Thomas, the Crazy Aunt Bethany of the White House Press Corps, has long been an anti-Israel bigot, but she finally came fully out of the bigot closet when she said her message for Jews was to "get out of Israel and go back to Poland".  The 89-year old Thomas, who should have been dropped from the White House Press Corps long ago, even has Democrats after her.  Lanny Davis, former Clinton aide, had this to say:

Helen Thomas, who I used to consider a close friend and who I used to respect, has showed herself to be an anti-Semitic bigot. This not about her disagreement about her criticisms of Israel. She has a right to criticize Israel and that is not the same as being an anti-Semite.


However, her statement that Jews in Israel should leave Israel and go back to Poland or Germany is an ancient and well-known anti-Semitic stereotype of the Alien Jew not belonging in the “land of Israel” — one that began 2,600 years with the first tragic and violent diaspora of the Jews at the hands of the Romans.

If she had asked all Blacks to go back to Africa, what would White House Correspondents Association position be as to whether she deserved White House press room credentials — much less a privileged honorary seat?

Does anyone doubt that my friends Ann Compton, head of the WHCA, and Joe Lockhart, who believe in the First Amendment right of free expression as much as I do, would be as tolerant and protective of Helen’s privileges and honors in the White House press room as they appear to be if she had been asking Blacks to return to Africa? Or Native Americans to Asia and South America, from which they came 8,000 or more years ago? I doubt it.

Of course Helen has the right as a private citizen under the First Amendment to speak her mind, even as an anti-Jewish bigot — but not as a member, much less privileged member with a reserved seat, in the WH press corps.

As one wag said the other day, "Helen Thomas has had it in for the Jews since she was dumped by King Herod".

The WH press corps won't kick her out because she's a woman, has been there since Kennedy, and only insulted the Jews.  As Davis said, if she'd gone after blacks she'd be gone, but it's still okay as far as the left is concerned to pick on Jews.

One thing's for sure, she won't be getting any more preferential treatment.  Her agent has dropped her, and it wouldn't surprise me if Hearst, her current employer, finds something else for her to do.