Tony Snow

Tony Snow was named by President George W. Bush as White House Press Secretary on April 26, 2006. Several months after a recurrence of colon cancer Snow announced on August 31, 2007 that he would resign from his position on September 14, 2007.

In his final media briefing Snow said that "this job has been the most fun I have ever had, the most satisfying, fulfilling job. I'm sorry I have to leave it". Snow was replaced by Dana Perino and was preceded by Scott McClellan, who resigned April 19, 2006.

Snow was a conservative "pundit" and syndicated talk-show host of the The Tony Snow Show on Fox News Radio and a contributor to Jewish World Review and Townhall.com. Snow once worked as a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush.

Snow died July 12, 2008 from cancer at the age of 53.

Tony Snow quotes

 * "American conservatives have discovered the will-and-morale-sapping properties of political power. A Republican president and a Republican Congress have lost control of the federal budget and cannot resist the temptation to stop raiding the public fisc." --Townhall.com, March 17, 2006.


 * "The newly passive George Bush has become something of an embarrassment." --Townhall, November 11, 2005.


 * "No president has looked this impotent this long when it comes to defending presidential powers and prerogatives." --Townhall.com, September 30, 2005.

For more quotes, see "Tony Snow On President Bush: 'An Embarrassment,' 'Impotent,' 'Doesn’t Seem To Mean What He Says'," Think Progress, April 25, 2006.

Profiles
"Tony Snow was named host of the FOX News Sunday public affairs program on April 3, 1996. He is also a political analyst for FOX News.

"Snow was a nationally syndicated columnist with the Detroit News from 1993 to 2000, and a columnist for USA Today from 1994 to 2000. His writings appear in more than 200 newspapers nationwide. He has appeared on radio and television programs worldwide including The McLaughlin Group, Crossfire, and Good Morning America.

"Prior to the 1994 elections, Snow was the writer, correspondent and host of a PBS news special, The New Militant Center, which anticipated some of the upsets that shook the political establishment.

"In 1991, Snow took a sabbatical from journalism to work in the White House for George Bush, first as chief speechwriter (deputy assistant to the president for communications and director of speechwriting) and later as deputy assistant to the president for media affairs (1992-93).

"Snow began his journalism career in 1979 as an editorial writer for the Greensboro Record in North Carolina. He later served as an editorial writer at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia (1981-82), editorial page editor of The Daily Press in Newport News (1982-84), deputy editorial page editor of The Detroit News (1984-87) and editorial page editor of The Washington Times (1987-91).

"Snow received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Davidson College, North Carolina, in 1977, and studied philosophy and economics at the University of Chicago during the 1978-79 academic year. He taught school in Kenya and in Cincinnati and worked as an advocate for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled in North Carolina.

"Born in Berea, Kentucky, in 1955 and raised in Cincinnati, Snow is married to the former Jill Ellen Walker. They live in Virginia with their three children, a son and two daughters, and three dogs and two cats." --Bio, 2003.

Published articles

 * "Personal Presidential Portrait. Memories of Ronald Reagan," National Review Online, June 8, 2004.
 * "The jury is still out on Bush term," Townhall.com, September 30, 2005.
 * "Turmoil inside the Beltway," Townhall.com, October 7, 2005.
 * "Lessons from Virginia," Townhall.com, November 11, 2005.
 * "Losing Ground," Townhall.com, March 17, 2006.
 * "Welfare State Prevents Our Pursuit of Happiness," RealClearPolitics, March 17, 2006.
 * "Immigration Is An Overrated Issue," RealClearPolitics, April 7, 2006.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Capital Athletic Foundation
 * The Media Institute

2003

 * Timothy Noah, "Meme Watch: Tony Snow Says Tax the Poor! A novel criticism of the Bush tax cut," Slate, January 16, 2003.
 * "Secretary Rumsfeld Interview with Tony Snow, Fox News Sunday," U.S. Department of Defense/DefenseLink, May 4, 2003.

2004

 * "Contrary to conservatives' claims, Bush has not been forthcoming in release of military service records; Even White House contradicted Hannity's claim that Bush signed form allowing document release," Media Matters for America, September 10, 2004.
 * "Media largely ignored LA Times report of Bush administration plans to delay major Iraq combat until after presidential election," Media Matters for America, October 12, 2004.
 * "'Nuisance' echo: Media conservatives embraced GOP distortion of Kerry interview," Media Matters for America, October 13, 2004.
 * "Conservative hosts echoed RNC claim that Kerry blamed troops for missing explosives," Media Matters for America, October 27, 2004.
 * "FOX pundits wrong: undecideds do break for challenger," Media Matters for America, November 2, 2004.

2005

 * "Conservatives falsify record on Ruth Bader Ginsburg," Media Matters for America, July 3, 2005.
 * "Tony Snow's evolutionary falsehoods," Media Matters for America, August 12, 2005.
 * "Talking to Tony Snow," Newsmaker Interviews by Bill Steigerwald, Cagle Cartoons.com, December 9, 2005.

2006

 * Mike Stark, "More Talk radio stuff (Tony Snow)...," Daily Kos, January 2, 2006.
 * "Hardball's Chris Matthews, FOX's Tony Snow and Britt Hume helped raise money for shady Abramoff charity," AMERICAblog, January 4, 2006. re Capital Athletic Foundation.
 * "Fox's Snow falsely claimed that Wilson said Plame was not covert," Media Matters for America, February 6, 2006.
 * White House News Release: Interview of the Vice President by Tony Snow, The Tony Snow Show Via Telephone, March 29, 2006.
 * Deborah, "Tony Snow Wants Protesters Punished," News Hounds, April 6, 2006.
 * Judd Legum, "Tony Snow Attributes High Gas Prices To 'People Complaining About Donald Rumsfeld'," Think Progress, April 19, 2006.
 * "FOX News' Tony Snow Among Possible White House Spokesman Candidates," Fox News, April 19, 2006.
 * Evan Derkacz, "Breaking News: Scott McClellan is history. Replaced by a Fox host?" AlterNet, April 19, 2006.
 * "The many falsehoods of Tony Snow," Media Matters for America, April 19, 2006.
 * "Tony Snow Undecided on White House Press Job," NewsMax, April 20, 2006.
 * Tim Grieve, "If it's Snow, he's ready," War Room/Salon, April 20, 2006.
 * "Snow repeated falsehoods, offered new one in attempt to rebut Media Matters," Media Matters for America, April 20, 2006.
 * "Even more Tony Snow falsehoods," Media Matters for America, April 21, 2006.
 * Suzanne Malveaux, "Sources: Tony Snow likely to take White House post," CNN, April 25, 2006.
 * Joe Gandelman, "Fox News' Tony Snow Reportedly Will Be White House Press Spokesman," The Moderate Voice, April 25, 2006.
 * "Snow in Late April," National Journal / The Hotline Blog, April 25, 2006: "Republicans close to the White House expect Pres. Bush to formally name Tony Snow as his new press secretary."
 * "Snow In May?" National Journal / The Hotline Blog, April 25, 2006: "Snow is said by Republicans familiar with the negotiations to have asked for guaranteed access to the president's ear and to an unusually large degree of latitude to reconfigure the WH press operation. ... Snow, not content to be a herald, also wants near-complete control over what he says from the podium, be it bromides, platitudes or substance. That would encroach on the broad portfolio of responsibilities that Dan Bartlett claims for himself."
 * "Fox News's Snow Tells Associates He's Taking White House Job," Bloomberg News, April 26, 2006.
 * Philippe Naughton, "Bush critic set to become his new spokesman," Times Online (UK), April 26, 2006.
 * "From Fox to Bush," Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), April 26, 2006.
 * News Release: "President Announces Tony Snow as Press Secretary," James S. Brady Briefing Room, White House, April 26, 2006.
 * "Text: President Bush and Tony Snow," Associated Press (Washington Post), April 26, 2006.
 * "Snow named new White House spokesman," Associated Press (USA Today), April 26, 2006.
 * Terence Hunt, "Bush Taps Snow As New Press Secretary," Associated Press (ABC News), April 26, 2006.
 * Joel Havemann, "Bush Names Talk Show Host Press Secretary," Los Angeles Times, April 26, 2006.
 * David Boaz, "Snow storm after Bush fire. How will the president's press secretary answer his own pointed criticisms of his new boss?" Guardian Unlimited (UK), April 26, 2006.
 * Sidney Blumenthal, "White House Snow job. Tony Snow, Fox News star, begins as the new White House press secretary on the day Karl Rove is called back to the federal grand jury," Guardian Unlimited (UK), April 26, 2006.
 * "Snow: Racism no longer 'a big deal'," The Raw Story, April 26, 2006. In 2003, Snow "told television viewers in 2003 that racism is no longer a 'big deal.'"
 * "Tony Snow's record (and his band)," USA Today Blog, April 26, 2006.
 * "Tony Snow on the Issues," Think Progress, April 26, 2006.
 * Steve Gorman, "Talk radio conquers White House podium," Reuters, April 26, 2006.
 * Richard Wolffe and Holly Bailey, "Into the Lion’s Den. Can Tony Snow become more than just the guy behind the press secretary’s podium?" Newsweek (MSNBC), April 26, 2006.
 * "A Mash Note For Tony Snow," The Rude Pundit, April 26, 2006. Contains language which may be offensive to some.
 * "Birds of a Feather: Tony Snow, Linda Tripp, Lucianne Goldberg," Wonkette!, April 26, 2006.
 * Alex Massie, "Newscaster crosses to other side as press secretary for Bush," The Scotsman, April 27, 2006.
 * Ari Fleischer, "Showtime at the White House," Washington Post, April 27, 2006.
 * "Bush Hires a Loyal Critic as Spokesman," New York Times, April 27, 2006.
 * Walter Shapiro, "Twilight Zone in the briefing room. Presented for your consideration: A bizarre and chilling fantasy in which Bush's Fox-y new press secretary suddenly tells the truth," Salon, April 27, 2006. (Site Pass required.)
 * Alec Russell, "White House brings in outspoken TV frontman," The Telegraph (UK), April 27, 2006.
 * Editorial: "It’s a spring Snow storm," Boston Herald, April 27, 2006.
 * Jim VandeHei and Michael A. Fletcher, "Fox News pundit is named Bush's spokesman. Move seen as an effort to give White House wide Washington voice," Washington Post (Boston Globe); MSNBC, April 27, 2006.
 * James Gerstenzang and Ronald Brownstein, "Fox Commentator Named Bush's Press Secretary. The sometimes critical conservative's selection is seen as a move to help the White House image," Los Angeles Times, April 27, 2006.
 * Gail Shister, "Snow will 'get it,' White House correspondents say," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 27, 2006.
 * "Snow on Foley Scandal: 'Simply Naughty Emails'," Think Progress, October 2, 2006. re Mark Foley

2007

 * Nico Pitney, "Tony Snow 'Defensive' On Iraq Anniversary, Tells CNN’s Ed Henry To 'Zip It'," Think Progress, March 19, 2007. re Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Five
 * Satyam Khanna, "Tony Snow Signals His Resignation, Plus ‘A Couple’ More ‘Coming Up In The Next Month’," Think Progress, August 16, 2007.
 * Mike Aivaz and Muriel Kane, "Tony Snow: Bush sometimes 'makes you want to just dash your brains out'," The Raw Story, October 5, 2007.

External resources

 * Tony Snow in the Wikipedia.
 * "The Tony Snow Show," Fox News.
 * Tony Snow Biography, Townhall.com.
 * Tony Snow Biography, Fox News, August 25, 2005.
 * Tony Snow's Death Fox News, July 12, 2008.