israel. president bush neglected to call on her. when he finally did, thomas asked him why he took the war to iraq at all. there is a principle that you can don't remember someone solely by the worst thing she did, but a roert as sharp as thomas would notice meaningful omissions. late in life, helen thomas called on jews living in israel to return to the european lands in which millions of jews were murdered amid world war ii. it was an astonishing and offensive remark. it effectively ended her career. any honest rendering of her career must acknowledge that moment, but any such account must alsoecognize the path she blazed, the battles she fought, and the spin she exposed. you'll have to click online at cnn.com/reliable sources to find my interview with louise mench,