Helen Thomas Ends 109-Year Journalism Career Amid Controversy Over Bacon

By DP Fleming, D Pressing News Senior Reporter

Helen Thomas, who has covered the White House since Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, has retired abruptly from Hearst Newspapers amid controversy over recent comments she made about the separation of Kevin Bacon.

Thomas made her views on the Kevin Bacon paradigm which relates his proximity to other actors. “Whoever came up with the idea should get the hell out of Palestine", said the ancient journalist. “The paradigm only came into existence because the phrase ‘six degrees of Kevin Bacon’ SOUNDS like six degrees of separation. It isn't kosher either,“ she wrote in a telegraph which had to be scanned into an email in order to be accessed. She’s been condemned by Mr. Bacon whose career is becoming more dependent on the name recognition associated with the phrase.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Thomas’ comments were "offensive and reprehensible." Thomas had built her career asking tough, unflinching questions of presidents regardless of whether they or anyone else was listening, or even in the room at the time.