Background Information: Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer

Often refered to as the "First Lady of the Press", Helen Thomas has served as a White House Correspondent for United Press Internation (UPI) for 57 years. She has covered every president since John F. Kennedy and has ended each interview session with "Thank you, Mr. President" until the Bush administration. Thomas is known for asking the hard-hitting questions in her pursuit of the truth. She has written four books and is a best-selling author. Thomas recently left UPI and went to work at Hearst Newspapers as a syndicated columnist.

Bob Schieffer has been a reporter for 52 years. He has been with CBS News since 1969 and acted as a principle anchor since 1973. Schieffer is one of the few journalists to cover every beat in Washington, D.C. -- the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department and Capitol Hill. Schieffer has covered every presidential campaign and been a floor reporter at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions since 1972. In 2004 and 2008, Schieffer moderated the final presidential debate.