Former Fox anchor and White House spokesman Tony Snow has died. Tony was a friend too many and I was privileged to be among them. Despite our differences of opinion and politics, Tony was a wonderfully person — always engaging and funny. He was truly a wonderful person and will be missed. He was 53.
Tony has been struggling with cancer for years –eventually leaving his post at the White House when the cancer returned. Click here. His dignity and courage in the face of his illness inspired millions.
He did not have a mean bone in his body. He was originally a liberal and even supported McGovern, but became a conservative in the 1970s. Despite the heated politics of the period, Tony was always an affable and respectful person.
He was completely committed to his wife, Jill, and three young children. Indeed, we used to joke about the perils of fatherhood when we saw each other. I, and many in this city, will miss him.
Rago:
“Please. Can you not see the less than tactful statement you made after giving your condolences?”
*********
I ‘ll concede the inadvertent lack of tact, but I was trying more for perspective. No matter what you think of this Administration you must likewise concede that no one will consider his/her tenure with this crowd a shining moment. The 19% approval rating about says it all. My lament went to his choice of such a public role on this ship of fools when he had many other options, and my belief that he likely never thought he would have to front for gang like this. Bad choices are made by us all, just not so publicly and that is the pity. On the “hater” line, I find it impossible for me to hate or love someone I do not know. Maybe you have a different experience.
This is sad news. One of the last times I heard him speak about his
recurrence, his voice cracked at the very real possibility of not seeing his kids grow up.
He put up an amazing fight and would still be here – probably as Dana Perino’s boss, if he could have. H & F.
******
thinkprogress.org/2006/04/25/snow-on-bush/
Tony Snow On President Bush: ‘An Embarrassment,’ ‘Impotent,’ ‘Doesn’t Seem To Mean What He Says’»
[UPDATE: Also see what Tony Snow has to say on the issues.]
Fox News’ Tony Snow is expected to be named White House Press Secretary. Here’s some of what he’s had to say about the President:
– Bush has “lost control of the federal budget and cannot resist the temptation to stop raiding the public fisc.” [3/17/06]
– “George W. Bush and his colleagues have become not merely the custodians of the largest government in the history of humankind, but also exponents of its vigorous expansion.” [3/17/06]
– “President Bush distilled the essence of his presidency in this year’s State of the Union Address: brilliant foreign policy and listless domestic policy.” [2/3/06]
– “George Bush has become something of an embarrassment.” [11/11/05]
– Bush “has a habit of singing from the Political Correctness hymnal.” [10/7/05]
– “No president has looked this impotent this long when it comes to defending presidential powers and prerogatives.” [9/30/05]
– Bush “has given the impression that [he] is more eager to please than lead, and that political opponents can get their way if they simply dig in their heels and behave like petulant trust-fund brats, demanding money and favor — now!” [9/30/05]
– “When it comes to federal spending, George W. Bush is the boy who can’t say no. In each of his three years at the helm, the president has warned Congress to restrain its spending appetites, but so far nobody has pushed away from the table mainly because the president doesn’t seem to mean what he says.” [The Detroit News, 12/28/03]
– “The president doesn’t seem to give a rip about spending restraint.” [The Detroit News, 12/28/03]
– “Bush, for all his personal appeal, ultimately bolstered his detractors’ claims that he didn’t have the drive and work ethic to succeed.” [11/16/00]
– “Little in the character of demeanor of Al Gore or George Bush makes us say to ourselves: Now, this man is truly special! Little in our present peace and prosperity impels us to say: Give us a great man!” [8/25/00]
– “George W. Bush, meanwhile, talks of a pillowy America, full of niceness and goodwill. Bush has inherited his mother’s attractive feistiness, but he also got his father’s syntax. At one point last week, he stunned a friendly audience by barking out absurd and inappropriate words, like a soul tortured with Tourette’s.” [8/25/00]
– “He recently tried to dazzle reporters by discussing the vagaries of Congressional Budget Office economic forecasts, but his recitation of numbers proved so bewildering that not even his aides could produce a comprehensible translation. The English Language has become a minefield for the man, whose malaprops make him the political heir not of Ronald Reagan, but Norm Crosby.” [8/25/00]
– “On the policy side, he has become a classical dime-store Democrat. He gladly will shovel money into programs that enjoy undeserved prestige, such as Head Start. He seems to consider it mean-spirited to shut down programs that rip-off taxpayers and mislead supposed beneficiaries.” [8/25/00]
Mespo,
With all due respect, my statement, …”You gave yourself away as a hater.” could be a stretch. Only you know for sure. Your lament of the man’s choices helped the thought pop into my head. With you his legacy is tarnished. Not necessarily so with others. I think yours was an assumptive statement in that regard. My apologies for generalizing your feelings so strongly and incorrectly.
“I have no idea by what stretch of logic or language you arrived at that impression…”
Please. Can you not see the less than tactful statement you made after giving your condolences?
Peace and Love
russ
1, July 12, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I think that I shall never see…..
something as dumb as a Bartlebee……..
-Russ
No Russ, I think that you shall just never see.
Now you kids go outside and play.
There’s better venues in here than this one where Professor Turley’s saying goodbye to a friend, for your unsolicited juvenile attacks on me.
You can find me in other threads, where I’ll be happy to respond to your juvenile blatherings ad nauseum.
This thread however is just not the place.
Rago:
“You gave yourself away as a hater.”
*****************
I have no idea by what stretch of logic or language you arrived at that impression, but in mimicking your thought pattern I must conclude that you think the man was perfect and therefore are a “lover” of everything he did or said. Perhaps now you can see that extreme conclusions stem from extreme assumptions–as you have made with me — and are patently ridiculous. Reductio ad absurdum and non sequiturs all rolled into one.
russ:
Ok, Ok that really was funny. LOL
I think that I shall never see…..
something as dumb as a Bartlebee……..
-Russ
There are those whom I’ve met,
and those whom I’ve not,
And those whom I’ve seen from afar;
Yet they all have their role,
in shaping my soul,
And some even shine like a star.
—
So when one passes on,
to that place far beyond,
Where I know someday too I must go;
I am saddened inside,
and my tears cannot hide,
So I’ll say fare thee well, Tony Snow.
—
I’ve seldom concurred,
with the words that you spoke,
but sometimes my brow I must bend;
When I see someones loss,
from that unearthly cost,
and the sadness of losing a friend.
– Bartlebee
Mespo,
RE: your second post
Look at your first post. You qualified your condolences. It wasn’t necessary to make that criticism. You gave yourself away as a hater.
Tony Snow was a great guy, period. We will all miss him. My condolences to his family and friends.
I think I never heard of him. I say sorry to people I never knew until they died. He seemed a great man like Tim Russert. Can I copy this post into my blog at http://gardenax.wordpress.com/ ?
Good man, he will be missed by us at http://www.bentpage.wordpress.com.
it does feel bad, when someone dies, especially somebody who has contributed so much to the society.
I always enjoyed it when Tony Snow filled in for Rush Limbaugh. He was always upbeat and entertaining and fully engaged in the issues of the day. And I really liked Fox News Sunday when he was host; he really made the show. He will be missed.
russ:
I have seen nothing but condolence here. If you want to have a fight, at least have the semblance of an an opponent first.
It was a shame how those at Daily Kos, Democraticunderground, etc. ETC. were overjoyed and posted such profane outrageous remarks when he announced his illness to the public.
America just cannot fathom the outright hatred expressed towards him by one percenters there and HERE.
That is way too young for anyone to die. My prayers are with his family today. RIP
It’s always a tragedy when someone so young dies. Beyond that…..
God Bless Tony Snow. He as one of the great ones.
It was a shame how those at Daily Kos, Democraticunderground, etc. ETC. were overjoyed and posted such profane outrageous remarks when he announced his illness to the public.
America just cannot fathom the outright hatred expressed towards him by these people.
He seemed like fine person in his public persona. He was very young to suffer this fate which is devastating for his family. I wish his legacy wasn’t tarnished with his tenure with this Administration, but we all live (and die unfortunately) with the choices we make. H & F.