Chris Wallace: Fox News Getting Helen Thomas’ Old Seat Would Be 'Poetic Justice'

This might upset some of the Fox News-ophobes within DC media circles, the so-called purists that tend to look down on the highly rated cable news outlet.

As Fox News is purportedly competing with Bloomberg for that front-row seat once occupied by the former dean of the White House press corps and Hearst Newspaper columnist Helen Thomas, Chris Wallace, the host of "Fox News Sunday," suggested there would be some sort of righteousness in his network taking that seat.

"They absolutely should get it," Wallace said on the June 10 broadcast of the Fox Business Network's "Imus in the Morning." "This is kind of interesting because -- and I think it would be the final sort of back payment for Helen Thomas, if this were to happen because obviously she was very far to the left-wing and if her seat were to be taken by Fox News, that would just be kind of poetic justice."

Host Don Imus asked Wallace what he meant by that and if that reflected something about Fox News and added, "Say hi to Roger when he calls you," referring to Fox News President Roger Ailes. But Wallace took the opportunity to clarify his statement.

"In any case, it is a vote of the White House Correspondents' Association and it seems to be a choice between Bloomberg and Fox," Wallace added.

Imus seemed to be a little surprised that Bloomberg was in consideration, but Wallace made the case that Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett would fill that seat well.

"I'm simply reporting those seem to be the two news agencies," Wallace said. "But, I think it's only fair and how great would it be Major Garrett is a great reporter right there on the front row, front center seat in Robert Gibbs' face every morning."

CNS News reported this week the Thomas incident has prompted the White House Correspondents Association to re-evaluate its seating rules and credentialing process.

Readers are encouraged to review other NewsBusters articles concerning the Helen Thomas affair:

• Bozell Column: Helen's Hate-Filled Exit
• Long List of Liberal Eruptions from Media's Mount St. Helen
• Stephen Colbert Defends Helen Thomas By Bashing Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck
• Rabbi That Filmed Helen Thomas's Anti-Semitism Gets 25,000 Hate Emails
• Olbermann Slams Anti-Helen Thomas Rabbi in ‘Worst Person’ Segment, But Not Helen Thomas
• Liberals Mock 'Hatchet-Faced' Helen Thomas
• WH Correspondents Board to Evaluate Seating Rules for Opinion Journalists
• Disgraced Journalist Helen Thomas Praised By Terrorist Group Hezbollah
• WaPo's Kurtz: In 2002, Helen Thomas Exclaimed 'Thank God for Hezbollah'