Helen Thomas Discovers the Media's "Third Rail"

Veteran reporter, Helen Thomas, who delighted the mainstream press for years with strident, politically-charged, but occasionally trenchant, questions aimed at Republican and Democrat Press Secretaries, and a steady stream of far-left opinion pieces, finally stepped out of line, criticizing the one group of people who are never to be criticized in the media:

In the video clip, which was filmed on May 27 during a Jewish Heritage Celebration at the White House, an interviewer for the Web site RabbiLive.com, Rabbi David F. Nesenoff, asked Ms. Thomas, “Any comments on Israel? We’re asking everybody today.” She quickly remarked, “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.”

When the interviewer asked, “Where should they go?,” she asserted that they “go home” to Poland, Germany, the United States “and everywhere else.”

That was enough to end her career. As soon as the story hit the wires, journalists, politicians and Washington insiders, moving like a herd of deer who have just smelled the wolves approaching, tripped over themselves to denounce Ms. Thomas' comments. Suddenly, the doyenne of the White House Press Corps was just a nutty old bigot.

Ms. Thomas quickly issued the requisite apology, but no level of prostration could save her. Abandoned by her agents, denounced by the White House, she announced her retirement this morning.

If Ms. Thomas has suggested that white people should leave America and return to Europe, no one would have paid attention. But she forgot the rules for a second, and paid the price. It's a good thing no one group of people control the nation's media and that we can hear such a diversity of opinion on important matters.