Snow Brought a Measure of Dignity to White House

Snow Brought a Measure of Dignity to White House
posted by John Nichols on 07/12/2008 @ 3:13pm


Even as he struggled with cancer, former White House press secretary Tony Snow told reporters: "I'm a very lucky guy."

In fact, George Bush was lucky to have had Snow as his spokesman during the period when it became clear that, while Bush could not renew his failed presidency, he could be less of an embarrassment to himself and his country.

Snow was a true-believer Republican who, to a far greater extent than many of the people around the president, took seriously the work of communicating the ideas and ideals of the Bush-Cheney presidency to the American people.

Before he joined the administration, Snow had bluntly argued in a column that the president's "wavering conservatism has become an active concern among Republicans, who wish he would stop cowering under the bed and start fighting back against the likes of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Wilson."

"The newly passive George Bush has become something of an embarrassment," concluded Snow.

To his credit, Bush's reaction to the criticism was to invite Snow to help him do a better job of explaining his views.

To Snow's credit, he accepted the offer.

The dynamic put Snow in a position to be more than just a mouthpiece. In an administration that has suffered from a surplus of "yes men" and "yes women," the veteran Detroit News writer and Fox News commentator joined Bush's inner circle as someone with self-respect -- and the president's respect.

That made the brief period when Snow served as White House press secretary in 2006 and 2007 a time that saw the administration display a measure of dignity. It was also a time when Bush began to put more distance between himself at the noxious influence of Vice President Cheney -- a process that continues to this day.

Unlike his predecessor, Scott McClellan, who has acknowledged that he was duped by the sleazier elements (Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney) in the White House, and his successor, Dana Perino, who might charitably be described as "ridiculous," Snow was a mature adult who was not going to be duped and who cared enough about his reputation to offer up a rare commodity from this administration: honesty.

Snow's death, at age 53, after a long struggle with cancer, robbed the party to which he was resolutely loyal and the movement to which he was sincerely committed of one of its most serious and effective communicators.

George Herbert Walker Bush, with whom Snow worked almost two decades ago, may have said it best when he recalled that, "(Tony Snow) won the respect of even those who violently disagree with the president's proposals and policies. For that I think he'll be remembered. He brought a certain civility to this very contentious job."

One does not need to have agreed with Tony Snow's political views to agree with the former president's assessment.


http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/336564/


Please, if you want to make negative comments about Mr. Snow, I ask that you post them in another thread. I lost my mom to cancer, and it hurts. It just plain hurts.

Thank you,

Indigo Blue (Sapphire Blue's daughter)

as a number by Tony.




Edited to add link:

http://bagnewsnotes.typepad.com/bagnews/page/2/

What does that make him? :cry:

God bless Tony Snow, his family, and yours.

That's about all I can say.

A disgrace to the office of press secretary who deliberately made monkeys of the press corps (not that it took much), in a brazen attempt to prevent the American public from learning the truth about the criminal administration he worked for and shielded. He may be dead, but my contempt for him is alive and well.

The fact he died of cancer is absolutely irrelevant and is no excuse for the damage he did while alive.

And I agree with you.

Dignity? Since when is whining about "only" making $168,000 a year dignified?

Regards

While I disagreed with him, I think he really believed the bullcrap he so freely spread.

Cancer sucks. I watched my brother-in-law die recently; he was a Republican, but in death, he was a family member and a friend.

Thanks, Indigo Blue, and God bless Sapphire Blue.

in the same ballpark as dignity.

You can't put dignity on a war criminal cabal.

eom

:D

except that I hope the pain gets less as soon as it can and that I really like your choice of name.

I lost two husbands to cancer. This in no way alters my opinion of Tony Snow.

The title I responded to was... Snow Brought a Measure of Dignity to White House

My response was "When"

Personally, I'd not say anything here that I wouldn't say to his wife or children as I looked into their eyes. But that's just me.

Compassion is sorely lacking here sometimes. It makes me extremely sad to be part of a "progressive" movement whose participants would only feel compassion for those THEY love, and unabashed UGLY HATRED for those they don't.

that's the question.

Has a long history of brilliant writing, investigative reporting, and commitment to progressive ideas. They (generally) have the courage to admit when history has proven their positions wrong, and the fortitude to buck the CW when they think they are right.

and i mean that with all sincerity. i'll refrain from posting what i really feel about the man, but this crap only serves to bring out the worst in people around here.

See pm

He was a complete asshole... stop with the revisionist stuff.

of this man who helped enable the neocon agenda and the Iraq slaughter of innocents?

Not welcome here?

I frigging love the Nation.

It's simply good writing, and honest.

The cause of his death has nothing to do with whether he was dignified or not. The man was a fascist fuckhead.

As the Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment. If you were a Nazi, that is. The view depends on what side of the fence you're on.

Your mother was admired here.

The measure he brought.

-Hoot

May they both rest in peace and may you find comfort, IB. :hug:

I suppose you could say he did but real "Dignity" I don't think so...