From the Washington Post's Media Notes feature:

Bush made news of another sort last night, says the Washington Times:

"A long-running Washington tradition apparently ended last night when, for the first time in memory, the doyenne of the White House press corps was not called on in a presidential press conference.

"Syndicated columnist Helen Thomas, who has covered every president since John F. Kennedy, was relegated to the third row in last night's East Room event and – if the memory of press corps veterans is accurate – received her first presidential snub. . . .

"For four decades the White House correspondent for United Press International, Mrs. Thomas, 82, has in recent months harangued Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer, asking how President Bush can slaughter innocent Iraqis in a quest for oil.

"Now syndicated by Hearst Newspapers, Mrs. Thomas has also denounced Mr. Bush outside the confines of the White House briefing room. 'This is the worst president ever,' Mrs. Thomas told the Daily Breeze of Torrance, Calif., in January. 'He is the worst president in all of American history.'

"Also snubbed by Mr. Bush at last night's news conference was Mike Allen of The Washington Post, the second consecutive time that the president has skipped over The Post's correspondent, who was seated last night in the front row."

Now that's hardball.

And completely inexcusable. I wondered if she was out sick or something.

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BTW, Barb has a great entry on the anti-war movement of Northampton, Mass. Go read that, since I'm being dull and busy today.