Living Vicariously Through Hugh Hewitt

It is every conservative's dream to question Helen Thomas for 20 minutes. Really, I could live the rest of my conservative fantasies through Hugh Hewitt. (full transcript here)

HT = Helen Thomas
HH = Hugh Hewitt

Halfway through the Interview Helen gets confused.

HT: Who are you?

HH: I...

HT: Who am I talking to?

HH: Hugh Hewitt.

HT: Am I talking to a journalist?

HH: Yes. Yes, for a long time. I'm just curious about what's gone wrong...

HT: Tell me about your career. What have you really done?

HH: Well, it's not nearly as impressive as you.

HT: Where did...yes, it's...it's very important to me. Where did you work?

HH: PBS for ten years.

HT: PBS?

HH: Yes.

HT: Well, that's a good credential.

HH: There you have it. See? I'm...

HT: But then you decided to switch over?

HH: To switch over to what?

HT: God knows what you are.

...

HH: Why should you guys have a special position in the White House press corps that you don't have to answer questions?

HT: Because in journalism, you're supposed to play the story straight, whatever the facts are, and we're doing that.

HH: Well, that doesn't go to why you should...you know, who made you folks queens and kings that you don't have to answer who you voted for, what you...do you own a gun, Helen?

HT: Are you kidding?

HH: No.

HT: Are you kidding?

HH: No. I think it's an interesting question. Do you support abortion rights?

HT: Do you own a gun?

HH: No. Got a cannon, but no gun. No, just joking.

HT: (laughing)

HH: Helen, I just wonder, why do journalists...

HT: Do you support abortion...

HH: ...get all upset when...

HT: Do you support abortion rights?

HH: No, I don't. I'm a pro-lifer.

HT: Ahh. I see.

...

HT: Why don't you ask some legitimate questions?

HH: Well, if in fact...would it be significant if you had voted for John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton, Mike Dukakis, Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter? Would that be significant?

HT: No. No, because I...

HH: You did vote for them, didn't you? I got it right.

HT: I...I worked for United Press International for more than fifty years, and I wrote straight copy. I was never, never accused of bias.

HH: But you did...

HT: I did not bow out of the human race. I permitted myself to care, to believe, to think. But I assure you, I assure you that it did not get in my copy. And can you say the same thing?

HH: But Helen, I'm saying. You did vote all those years, didn't you?

HT: No, but you're bias has come through. You're not asking legitimate questions.

HH: Why am I...

HT: You are bating people.

HH: Why is this not legitimate?

...

HT: It's none of your business, because it has nothing to do with my copy and my work, and you've called me because I'm a journalist.

HH: But wouldn't it be significant if you were in fact a card-carrying, long time Democratic...

HT: No, it would not. I told you that I wrote straight copy for more than fifty years until I became a columnist.

HH: And...but I understand that. And that can be perfectly true...

HT: And it's very possible. Have you been a straight reporter?

HH: Yes. I did reporting for PBS for ten years, but I'm a conservative.

HT: Even with what you believed and so forth?

HH: Of course.

HT: Were you able...

HH: I'm just transparent.

HT: Were you able to do it?

HH: Of course, Helen.

HT: In a factual way?

HH: Do you think that what makes you a journalist is the fact that you won't tell people who you voted for?

HT: Did I say that? I told you that I was a straight, factual reporter for more than fifty years.

HH: And now you're an opinion columnist.

HT: That's right.

HH: And so now you can tell us who you voted for.

HT: And I don't think it's your business who I voted for.

HH: All right.

HT: And I don't think you have the right to ask anybody that question.

HH: Why not? It's a free press, isn't it?

HT: Well, it's not a fair question. It's...

HH: You want to censor my questions?

HT: It's a secret ballot.

HH: Of course. You don't have to answer, but why should you censor my questions?

HT: Because you are looking for trouble, that's why. You're not asking legitimate questions. That has nothing to do with the current situation. That's why.

HH: It's actually just...

HT: You have an undercurrent campaign going on in your own mind.

HH: An undercurrent campaign? No, I actually have a very open campaign to suggest that the White House press corps is biased and liberal. I mean, that's just my belief. I believe I have lots of evidence for that. Do you know any conservatives in the White House press corps?

HT: God yes.

HH: Who?

HT: And anyway...

HH: Who?

HT: I don't have to name names.

...

HH: Why don't you like George Bush?

HT: I don't like people who want a war.

HH: And you just think he really just decided to go to war...and is Iraq better off today than it was four years ago?

HT: No. Watch...I want you to read...I want you to look at these pictures of these detainees and prisoners of war. And you will really be so disturbed. Why don't you...

HH: What did we do?

...


HT: Look, are you...I'm talking about human beings. Why don't you try to think of the people you've killed. All of us. It's all on our hands.

HH: Helen, again, I think it was a good thing...

HT: I'm so sorry that you don't care about people who've been slained, thousands and thousands. I mean, worry about them.

HH: What about...

HT: They can't vote.

HH: Helen...

HT: Okay, goodbye.

Click.