Quotes from Helen Thomas

I don't think there are any rude questions.

Many voters think about the makeup of the Supreme Court when they are choosing a president. The justices deal not only with constitutional issues but also with social issues that were unknown to the founding fathers who wrote the Constitution more than 200 years ago.

I'm of Arab background.

I censored myself for 50 years when I was a reporter. Now I wake up and ask myself, 'Who do I hate today?'

People will never know how hard it is to get information, especially if it's locked up behind official doors where, if politicians had their way, they'd stamp 'top secret' on the color of the walls.

But when will our leaders learn - war is not the answer.

War makes strange bedfellows.

President Bush has asserted the right to wiretap and eavesdrop on any American without a warrant in the name of fighting terrorism. He has asserted presidential power beyond stated constitutional rights, and there is no Republican gutsy enough to call his hand.

There are better ways we can transform this virulent hatred - by living our ideals, the Peace Corps, exchange students, teachers, exporting our music, poetry, blue jeans.

American journalism's crazy old aunt in the attic.

If you want to be President, decide it at the age of five, and then live accordingly.

This is the worst President ever. He [George W. Bush] is the worst President in all of American history.

The White House used to belong to the American people. At least that's what I learned from history books and from covering every president starting with John F. Kennedy.

I've always felt privileged to cover the White House and to have that ringside seat to history

Life is too short to drink the house wine.

Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly has been disturbed over what he sees as the erosion of presidential powers since the Watergate scandal and has urged Bush to take a stronger stand against what Cheney sees as congressional intrusions into the executive branch.

I'm covering the worst president in American history.

Every President hates the Press.

Presidents hate the press. They hate me most of the time.

The day Dick Cheney is going to run for president, I'll kill myself. All we need is one more liar.

As a reporter having covered him for eight years in the White House, I am sure the press could have done a better job if we had known the real Ronald Reagan.

The sudden ending of a White House career all seems so unceremonious for aides who have personally sacrificed a lot - and sometimes even bent their conscience - to do the president's bidding.

Every president thinks that all information that comes to the White House is their private preserve after they all promise an open administration on the campaign trail, but some are more secretive than others. Some want to lock down everything.

I got into the Kennedy White House because at the time I was president of the Women's National Press Club, and they assigned me to cover the early days of the Kennedy campaign. Jackie especially. Everyone was interested in the family.