Helen Thomas

From the Washington Post:

Back in the Front Row

Helen Thomas hasn't lost anything off the old fastball.

The 88-year-old legend of the White House briefing room returned to her front-row seat this afternoon after a long, illness-related absence.

"We're hapy to welcome back Helen Thomas," Bush press secretary Dana Perino said at the top. "We missed you a great deal, and we'll let the sparring begin here in just an instant."

Thomas wore her trademark scowl but sat silently through much of the briefing. Perino was about to bring the session to a close when it was brought to her attention that Thomas had a question.

"Helen has a question!" the 36-year-old exclaimed with a smile.

"Yes I do," Thomas piped up. "You say the president is not at fault for the auto industry problem. Do you think he's responsible for a solution?"

"Well," Perino began, I think that he - "But Thomas had not yet relinquished the floor. "And also, is there a quid pro quo on the Colombia trade agreement."

Perino explained that there was no quid pro quo between an auto-industry bailout and the free trade deal, and she assured Thomas the auto industry is "very important."

Not good enough. "Is he aware that Michigan has 9 percent unemployment?" Thomas demanded.

"Very well aware of it," Perino said, padding her answer with a few more sentences.

Still not good enough. "Is he aware that Detroit won World War II by retooling in a matter of days to a wartime condition?"

"He knows how important Detroit is, its history," Perino assured Thomas.

Perhaps Bush knows the history. But Helen Thomas is the last one in the room who lived it.

Here's wishing her many more years in the front row.

This blog was bittersweet. Helen Thomas is a Washington institution like... the Smithsonian... or Old Ebbitt's Grill. Or the Willard Hotel.

I got some sort of pang with the "last one in the room who lived it" line...