Prime choice

Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House

* Grade: B+

* When and where: 7 p.m. today, HBO

Anyone who follows presidential politics knows the name Helen Thomas. She's covered nine presidents, and for the past 20 years she's been the "dean" of White House correspondents.

The tough old lady with a penchant for asking tough questions gets her due in this 45-minute documentary from HBO, which looks at both Thomas' lineage (her parents were illiterate immigrants) and her 60-year career as a journalist.

The documentary finds a still-feisty Thomas, 88, reminiscing for the camera about her presidential encounters. She started with John F. Kennedy back in 1961 (his niece, Rory Kennedy, directs this film), and since then she's broken stories and become storied herself for her work for United Press International. When the leader of the Unification Church bought the agency, Thomas resigned and went to work for Hearst.

The documentary is at its best when Thomas recalls her personal interaction with presidents. Who was the nicest? (Gerald Ford) The toughest? (LBJ) The most naive? (Bill Clinton) Who praised her in public right before she threw a tough question at him? (Richard Nixon)

This inside glimpse of the White House press corps is fascinating. "Managed news" started with the Kennedy administration, says Thomas, who recalls the unspoken agreement that the press never delved into presidential personal lives. She feels bad about what happened to Bill Clinton, though she says he was under siege by the political right long before the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Thomas even admits to having a few stars in her eyes. No matter how dogged a journalist may be on the beat, it's hard not to be impressed when you're rubbing elbows daily with presidents.