Helen Thomas advised a full-capacity crowd in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on Thursday to question their country.

“You have to ask who are we and where are we going for our current deeds,” she said. “We are despised in the world. We have lost our halo.”

Thomas, former White House Bureau Chief for United Press International and current Hearst Newspapers columnist, indicted the current presidential administration as being “rudderless” and lacking direction.

More than 600 people came to hear “The First Lady of the Press,” who is known for her work at the White House with the previous eight presidents.

Thomas said President George W. Bush was determined to go to war in Iraq but has yet to give a reason why. She said every day in Iraq is “Blacksburg, five times over.”

“This war is illegal, immoral and unconscionable,” Thomas said. “Wrong, wrong in every sense. To start a new century with a war, what can young people think?”

Thomas, the keynote speaker of First Amendment Week, has a great deal experience working with presidents, as she was the White House correspondent for United Press International for 57 years.

She is known for asking tough questions and closing presidential press conferences by saying “Thank you, Mr. President.”

“You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to say ‘No thank you, Mr. President,'” Thomas said.

Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication director Michael Bugeja introduced Thomas, saying “she has scared the bejeebers out of the most powerful men in the world.”

Thomas said the late Gerald Ford likened her questions to acupuncture.

Last night, she berated the current administration as well as the press – the administration for its actions, and the press for failing to ask the tough questions – saying the president and Congress have abridged Americans’ rights with the Patriot Act.

“We have allowed ourselves to be wire-tapped,” Thomas said.

“We should get out [of Iraq] yesterday; cut our losses,” for which she received a standing ovation.