Commonly referred to as "The First Lady of the Press," Helen Thomas is the most senior member of the White House press corps and has covered every President since Kennedy. Democracy Now interviewed Thomas last week at the National Conference For Media Reform. [includes rush transcript]

Helen Thomas has been a leading critic of the Bush administration and of the press corps during the lead-up to the Iraq invasion. Her new book is “Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public.”

On March 21, 2006, Thomas was called upon directly by President Bush for the first time in three years. Thomas asked him about Iraq.

• Helen Thomas questioning President Bush

Democracy Now recently caught up with Helen Thomas at the media reform conference in Memphis. I began by asking her about George Bush's recent prime-time address to the nation from the White House Library where he vowed to send more troops to Iraq.

• Helen Thomas, veteran White House correspondent and author of the book "Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public.”