Tony Snow

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Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow
Tony Snow

Tony Snow
In office
May 8, 2006 – September 14, 2007
Preceded by Scott McClellan
Succeeded by Dana Perino
Born June 1, 1955 (1955-06-01) (age 53)
Berea, Kentucky, USA
Political party Republican
Spouse Jill Ellen Walker (m. 1987)
Children 2 daughters, 1 son
Occupation Commentator

Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow (born June 1, 1955) was the third White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, succeeding Scott McClellan and Ari Fleischer in that role. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and Deputy Assistant of Media Affairs.

Between his two White House stints, Snow was a broadcaster and newspaper columnist. After years of regular guest-hosting for The Rush Limbaugh Show and providing news commentary for National Public Radio, he launched his own talk radio program, The Tony Snow Show, which went on to become nationally syndicated. He was also a regular personality on Fox News Channel since 1996, hosting Fox News Sunday, Weekend Live, and often substituting as host of The O'Reilly Factor.

On August 30, 2007, Snow announced that he would step down from his position on September 14, 2007. He said he had taken a major pay cut to become press secretary and that in light of his cancer he needed to earn more than his $168,000 salary to provide for his family. Snow's deputy, Dana Perino, succeeded him as White House Press Secretary.[1]

As of April 21, 2008, CNN has announcedthat Tony Snow will join them as a conservative commentator.

On April 23, 2008, the Associated Press reported that Tony Snow was admitted to a Spokane hospital with an undisclosed illness. On April 22, he canceled appearances scheduled at Eastern Washington University. He was also expected to appear that day on CNN to analyze the Pennsylvania primary which occurred that day.

Contents

[edit] Early life and family

Snow was born in Berea, Kentucky, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father Jim taught social studies and was an assistant principal at Princeton High School in suburban Cincinnati, from which his son graduated. His mother was an inner-city nurse who died of colon cancer in 1973 when Snow was 17 years old. After graduating from Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio, Snow obtained his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Davidson College in 1977.

[edit] Career

[edit] Early career

Snow began his newspaper career in 1979 in newspapers as an editorial writer for The Greensboro Record in North Carolina, next working 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). Also, The Detroit News published his commentary from 1993 to 2000, and he was a Counterpoint Columnist for USA Today from 1994 to 2000.

Snow also wrote a syndicated column for Creators Syndicate between 1993 and 2000. As a nationally syndicated columnist, his commentaries appeared in more than 200 newspapers nationwide. Snow won numerous awards during his print career, including citations from the Virginia Press Association, the Detroit Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, The Associated Press and Gannett.

He has appeared on radio and television programs worldwide including The McLaughlin Group, The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour, Face the Nation, Crossfire, and Good Morning America. Until 1994, Snow was the writer, correspondent and host of a PBS news special, The New Militant Center.

In 1991, Snow took a sabbatical from journalism to work in the White House for President George H. W. 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 (1992-1993).

From 1996 to 2003, he served as the first host of FOX News Sunday, a Sunday morning interview and roundtable program produced by Fox News, airing on affiliates of the Fox Broadcasting Company and later in the day on Fox News Channel.

Snow served as the primary guest host of Rush Limbaugh's program from the mid-1990s on. He was also a frequent commentator on National Public Radio. Snow's own Tony Snow Show on Fox News Radio premiered in late 2003. It ended when he became White House Press Secretary in April 2006.

Tony Snow pictured with President George W. Bush and outgoing Press Secretary Scott McClellan
Tony Snow pictured with President George W. Bush and outgoing Press Secretary Scott McClellan
Tony Snow pictured with President George W. Bush and Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino
Tony Snow pictured with President George W. Bush and Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino

[edit] Return to the White House

In April 2006, Snow was named White House Press Secretary to replace Scott McClellan in the George W. Bush administration. His appointment to the position was formally announced on April 26, 2006. The position of White House Press Secretary has historically been filled by individuals from news media backgrounds.

His selection as press secretary was initially criticized because of some of his past comments about Bush.[1] Bush acknowledged Snow's prior criticisms during the announcement of his appointment, stating that Snow was "not afraid to express his own opinions".[2] Snow considered having input into the administration's policy debates a requirement[citation needed] for him to take the position.

Snow began his new press secretary duties on May 8, 2006.

On July 3, 2007, Snow had a combative press conference with White House reporters about the President's decision to commute a prison term for top Vice-Presidential aide Irving Lewis "Scooter" Libby, sentenced to 30 months in prison for obstruction of justice; Bush had once vowed to fire any White House staffer convicted in the case. When Snow denied Libby's commutation was motivated by party politics, one reporter accused Snow of "insulting their intelligence."[3]

In his final press briefing on September 13, 2007, Snow commented on the job that he was leaving. "I'll miss it," he said in a tone that, unlike most press secretaries on their last day, suggested he really meant it. "I love these briefings.".[4]

[edit] Illness

Snow, having suffered for years from ulcerative colitis, was at an increased risk for colon cancer.[5] On February 2005, this risk proved real, as he developed cancer in his colon.[6] After having his colon removed, he returned to work in April 2005.[7] On March 23, 2007, Snow announced that he would be undergoing surgery the following Monday to remove and investigate an abdominal growth.[8] On March 27, the White House announced that the growth was cancerous and had metastasized.[9][10][11] In Snow's absence, the press briefings began to be covered by Deputy Dana Perino. On April 21, Snow made an appearance at the annual White House Correspondent's Association Dinner, where he introduced a joking tape by David Letterman. Snow returned to work on April 30, 2007. On May 12, Snow delivered the Commencement Address for the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C., where he was presented with a degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. On September 19, it was reported in the AP that a cancerous growth was found inside his brain. Though Snow has been reluctant to describe himself as terminally ill, on September 27, he admitted to Jay Leno on The Tonight Show that he will have cancer for the rest of his life, "unless and until they find a cure." He then announced on October 4 on the Late Show With David Letterman that his cancer was in remission. He recently told Martha Stewart that he feels great, and is nearly ready to deal with the cattle call of Washington once again.

On May 28, 2008, he was forced to cancel speaking appearance at Ohio's Ashland University because of an unspecified illness and was told by his doctors he couldn't travel. [2]

[edit] Music

Snow is an avid musician. He plays the trombone, flute, piccolo,accordion, saxophone, and guitar, and belongs to a cover band, Beats Workin', which features fellow Washington-area professionals. Beats Workin' has played publicly with a number of rock bands, including Snow's friends Skunk Baxter (The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. He was featured on an episode of VH1 Classic's Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp.

Snow has also been referenced in popular music; throughout hip-hop group UGK's CD Underground Kingz, rapper Pimp C refered to himself as Tony Snow, playing upon the slang meaning of "snow" as "cocaine".

[edit] Career timeline

[edit] Print

[edit] Radio

[edit] Television



[edit] References

  1. ^ Tony Snow On President Bush: ‘An Embarrassment,’ ‘Impotent,’ ‘Doesn’t Seem To Mean What He Says’. Think Progress (April 25, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
  2. ^ Dodge, Catherine; Brendan Murray (April 26, 2006). Bush Picks Fox News's Snow as White House Spokesman. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
  3. ^ Press Corps During Libby Conference: Tony "You're Insulting Our Intelligence" Huffington Post, July 3, 2007
  4. ^ Baker, Peter. "Snow Relishes Final Joust With Reporters", The Washington Post, September 13, 2007. 
  5. ^ Dr. Joseph S. Galati, Tony Snow. "Tony Snow Interview on Colon Cancer" (MP3). YourHealthFirst.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Event occurs at 0:01:27. "… having you on the show today is a little bit of a two-for-one, because your particular risk for colon cancer is a little more unusual than the average adult out there, in that you have inflammatory bowel disease, or ulcer of colitis…"
  6. ^ Tony Snow Diagnosed With Colon Cancer. Matra Healthcare (February 15, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
  7. ^ Why Bush Chose Tony Snow as His New Spokesman. Time Magazine (2006-04-25). Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  8. ^ Brusk, Steve (March 23, 2007). White House spokesman Snow faces surgery. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
  9. ^ White House spokesman's cancer returns. CNN (2007-03-27). Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
  10. ^ Loven, Jennifer. Tests show Snow's Cancer has returned. Associated Press (via ABC News). Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  11. ^ Holland, Steve. Bush's spokesman Snow has recurrence of cancer. Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.

[edit] External links

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