Earlier this week, I posted about the mainstream media blackout on anything to do with Helen Thomas since 2/14, except for a diatribe by Rush Limbaugh on 2/20. See:

 

http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi? read=29049

 

The article posted on Limbaugh's website states that Ms. Thomas appeared on Phil Donahue's show on Wednesday night. Since this article is dated February 20, I take it that Ms. Thomas was on Donahue on Wednesday, February 19.

 

I've been keeping an eye on the Donahue transcripts at MSNBC, and the one for the show on February 19 has yet to be posted. See:

 

http://www.msnbc.com/news/MSNBCTRANSCRIPTSMAIN_Front.asp?0ct=- 330

 

As of tonight, the following transcripts are available: February 24; February 18; February 17; February 14; February 5.

 

Yesterday, MSNBC announced it was cancelling Donahue due to "poor ratings", see:

 

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news? tmpl=story2&cid=638&ncid=762&e=2&u=/nm/20030225/en_nm/media_dona hue_dc

 

I find this a little surprising, considering the way Phil Donahue has strong ties to FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, fair.org), which is funded by the Ford, Rockefeller, MacArthur, and Schumann Foundations -- see the chart at the bottom of the page at:

 

http://www.questionsquestions.net/gatekeepers.html

 

Did Phil Donahue 'step over the line' when he interviewed Helen Thomas?

 

As far as the "poor ratings" excuse goes, last September, MSNBC's perspective about Donahue was that "establishing a news show is a marathon instead of a sprint." See:

 

http://www.sltrib.com/2002/sep/09032002/tuesday/767720.htm

 

Of course, MSNBC has been "struggling to define itself" for quite some time, but they've used the "poor ratings" excuse to cancel controversial hosts in the past. Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby, the morning drive team for WABC 770AM in NYC, did a stint on MSNBC last year, see:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn? pagename=article&node=&contentId=A20158-2002Oct26¬Found=true

 

MSNBC used the "poor ratings" excuse, but anybody who's familiar with Ron Kuby's politics wasn't too shocked when they were axed. For those who aren't aware, Mr. Kuby was a protege of William Kunstler's -- he's an attorney who chooses to represent controversial cases. Most recently, he's representing Vox of voxnyc.com fame, see:

 

http://www.guerrillanews.com/war_on_terrorism/doc1025.html

 

-------------------------

 

MAJOR MEDIA BLACKOUT SINCE 2/14 EXCEPT FOR RUSH?

 

Posted By: LinnCiesla Date: Monday, 24 February 2003, 2:29 a.m.

 

In Response To: GOP SMEARS HELEN THOMAS (LinnCiesla)

 

Looks like there's been a major media blackout on anything to do with Helen Thomas since February 14, except for Rush Limbaugh blasting her on the 20th. Now, whaddya think that's about?

 

Next thing you know, they'll be saying Helen has dementia. We all know she DOESN'T!

 

-----------------------------

 

January 29, 2003 Rochester NY Democrat and Chronicle Ahead of speech here Helen Thomas decries Bush:

 

http://www.rochesterdandc.com/news/0129story24_news.shtml

 

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Feb 11, 2003 Sarasota Herald-Tribune Thomas pulls no punches at literary luncheon:

 

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? Site=SH&Date=20030211&Category=COLUMNIST39&ArtNo=302110476&Ref=A R

 

------------------------------

 

February 13, 2003 WOKR13.tv Veteran Reporter Helen Thomas In Rochester:

 

http://www.wokr13.tv/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=7F3676FF- 6F49-4506-999B-8FDD43064A24

 

-------------------------------

 

February 14, 2003 Newsday Helen Thomas rails against Bush's `imperial presidency':

 

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny-brf--people- thomas0214feb14,0,1553473.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

 

-------------------------------

 

After the above, the only mention of Ms. Thomas seem to be of the following variety:

 

Oh, Helen - We Can't Back Down Now The Rush Limbaugh Show February 20, 2003

 

"Did you happen to catch Helen Thomas on Wednesday night's Donahue? Hey, don't roll your eyes. This is too good - as you'll hear in our sound bites of Madame Thomas with Phil on PMSNBC. She amended her comment that Bush is the "the worst president we've ever known," adding that, "there's always room for improvement." Improvement to her would be Bush "declaring peace" and going home, like (she wrongly claims) JFK did in the Cuban Missile Crisis."

 

http://rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_022003/content/stop_the_ tape.guest.html

 

--------------------------

 

GOP SMEARS HELEN THOMAS

 

Posted By: LinnCiesla Date: Monday, 24 February 2003, 1:49 a.m.

 

"Not since Richard M. Nixon made a little list -- an enemies list -- of those in the press and in politics who disagreed with his policies has a U.S. President launched a public personal attack on a specific American journalist.

 

Now, the ever-reliable Hotline reports, George W. Bush has mobilized the Republican National Committee to beat up the outspoken truth-teller, venerated senior White House correspondent, and "First Lady of the press," Helen Thomas, because she has DARED to criticize his public policies.

 

Helen Thomas has had the courage to say what many are thinking, that Bush is "the worst president in all of American history." For exercising her First Amendment freedom, the entire Republican Party smear machine has now been deployed against the brave and distinguished journalist."

 

Kudos to Tom for posting this story on his site! See:

 

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article1613.htm

 

Earlier this month, I posted 'Helen Thomas Socks it to the White House, here on RMN:

 

http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=28273

 

"Where are the editorials in the New York Times and in the Washington Post?

 

Where are the press freedom groups and journalists' defense organizations?

 

Where are Daniel Schorr, Mary McGrory, and all of the other surviving targets of Nixon's "enemies list"?

 

Above all, where is the board of the White House Correspondents' Association, now that their courageous colleague -- who has covered every president since John F. Kennedy, and always commanded the utmost respect -- has been targeted in Dubya's Nixonian campaign to smother all criticism?"

 

----------------------------

 

HELEN THOMAS SOCKS IT TO THE WHITE HOUSE

 

Posted By: LinnCiesla Date: Tuesday, 4 February 2003, 1:30 p.m.

 

Helen Thomas recently made quite a stir by describing George W. Bush as "the worst president in all of American history." See:

 

http://dailybreeze.copleypress.org/content/bog/thomas19.html

 

In January, she blasted Art Fleischer during a press conference, full transcript is available at (excerpt below):

 

http://www.antiwar.com/comment/helen.html

 

--------------------------

 

MS. THOMAS: My follow-up is, why does he want to drop bombs on innocent Iraqis?

 

MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, the question is how to protect Americans, and our allies and friends --

 

MS. THOMAS: They're not attacking you.

 

MR. FLEISCHER: -- from a country --

 

MS. THOMAS: Have they laid the glove on you or on the United States, the Iraqis, in 11 years?

 

MR. FLEISCHER: I guess you have forgotten about the Americans who were killed in the first Gulf War as a result of Saddam Hussein's aggression then.

 

MS. THOMAS: Is this revenge, 11 years of revenge?

 

---------------------------

 

Give 'em hell, Helen!!!

 

 

 

Donahue In Basement - Network Readies Cancellation

 

Drudge Report
From 12-22-02

 

MSNBC's Donahue fell back in to last place Tuesday night in the cable news wars, just as NBC News President Neal Shapiro is said to have become convinced the show may be unable to increase its viewership levels, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

 

Overnight NIELSEN runs show DONAHUE trailing CNN's CHUNG by more than 3-to-1 and FOX's O'REILLY by nearly 7-to-1!

 

"I think we've reached the point of no return [for the show]," a top NBC source told DRUDGE from New York on Tuesday. "Simply put, we are losing money... there is no growth in audience, the demos are flat. We are looking at a cancellation, regretfully."

 

The decision on DONAHUE will be made directly by Shapiro, sources said.

 

http://www.drudgereportArchives.com/data/2002/12/12/20021212_032733_msnbc2.htm