IRootsan IndependentAlthough I became known as one of the Washington presscorps' most outspoken reporters, when I first started work-ing as a newspaper reporter in Washington in i944, I wastoo shy to ask President Roosevelt any questions at all. Ifelt uncomfortable and out of place at Roosevelt's pressconferences, and I rarely attended. When I did go, theother reporters' questions made me realize how much Ididn't know about politics and government. As I learned more about my new beat, I became moreconfident. By the time Harry S. Truman was president, Iattended his press conferences regularly and asked oc-casional questions. Truman answered them with kindnessand humor. I was determined to speak out at PresidentEisenhower's first press conference, and though all the oddswere against me--I was standing in the balcony, far fromthe president, who read a long statement and thus left verylittle time for reporters' questions that day--it was thatlong statement which prompted my question and got ananswer. Once I saw that I could participate, that my ques-tions could make a difference, I kept asking Ike questions,to the point that people started blaming me for his high