Tony Snow Knows How to Work More Than One Room

Washinton Post.com ^ | October 12, 2006 | Howard Kurtz

[Angel]

There has never been a White House press secretary quite like Snow. He is a combative presence on television and radio, relishes the repartee at daily briefings and, in a first for his position, has hit the fundraising circuit for Republican candidates. Snow brings a flashy, Fox News sensibility to the high-profile podium, which means he is increasingly popping up on newscasts and in the papers.

"Sometimes it does feel like the Tony Snow Show," says Richard Wolffe, Newsweek's White House correspondent. "There are tactics he uses that are straight out of talk radio. The extent to which he personalizes things or comes back with a one-liner, it revs up the base. They love it when he takes us on." snip....

In the five months since he succeeded the tightly scripted Scott McClellan, Snow has put his verbal agility and sense of humor to good use, and the White House has clearly given him more running room. Struggling on several fronts, from Iraq to domestic scandals to depressed poll numbers that have put the Republican control of Congress at risk, the president has never been more in need of a slick salesman. Administration officials describe Snow as a major asset.

"He definitely likes the combat," says Martha Raddatz, ABC's White House correspondent. "One of his devices is he stops and smiles at you. The megawatt smile is supposed to punctuate his sentences, but it hasn't worked as well for him lately. It's a pretty tight-lipped administration, and that hasn't changed."

[Angel]

I love Tony Snow. This is a fun puff peace, but some of the comments are interesting.

[ozzymandus]

Sounds like the MSM RATS are pretty upset that they can't push Tony Snow around like they did McClellan. I never thought of snow as a particularly macho, or even conservative, guy, but I suppose to a RAT he looks like John Wayne.

[RobbyS]

My impression is that since his bout with cancer he has acquired more of an edge.

[ozzymandus]

He used to brag about being buddies with RAT thug bob beckel.

[nutmeg]

ping!

[nutmeg]

FoxFan ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my FoxFan list. *Warning: This can be a high-volume ping list at times.

[CyberAnt]

Exactly!

[glorgau]

"One of his devices is he stops and smiles at you.

What a horrible mean man ;-)

[BunnySlippers]

"He definitely likes the combat," says Martha Raddatz, ABC's White House correspondent. "One of his devices is he stops and smiles at you.

Well, I never ...

[Prophet in the wilderness]

He once said on his program after his surgery that he appreciates life even more since he survived cancer, and he does not pity himself, or a defeatist.
He must have some kind of NO FEAR since he looked death in the eyes and must of said:

" ohhhh no you don't,,, NOT THIS GUY, not just yet, I have more work to do that the good lord has me to do ".

He ( I may be wrong ) I think he once said after going through that, he is not afraid of many things anymore.

[GOP_Raider]

"One of his devices is he stops and smiles at you.

Easier said than done with an old hen like Raddatz in that room.

[rdb3]

WOOF!

[TChad]

Struggling on several fronts, from Iraq to domestic scandals to depressed poll numbers that have put the Republican control of Congress at risk, the president has never been more in need of a slick salesman.

So Bush needs a "slick salesman," not a competent spokesperson.

Howard, Howard. Your pretense of objectivity has fallen around your knees.

[Bahbah]

Woof back atcha, rd. I see that smiling at people has become a "device." What a sneaky devil that Snowman is. LOL.

[mkmensinger]

I'd like to know just how a smile can be a radio trick???

[CDHart]

"My impression is that since his bout with cancer he has acquired more of an edge."

A diagnosis of cancer has a way of doing that -- your priorities shift and you realize what's really important.

carolyn

[rdb3]

A diagnosis of cancer has a way of doing that -- your priorities shift and you realize what's really important.

Yeah, illness and life-changes surely do refocus your attention to what's truly important.

I'm not telling you what I've heard. I'm telling your what I know.

[leilani]

Angel, you may not have known this, but strict FR posting protocol for all Tony Threads requires backup documentation any time *The Smile* is cited in the referenced article:

(((sigh)))

[Mad Dawg]

... slick salesman.

You caught that too! Yeah, their bile just leaks out of the corners of their mouths even, or especially, when they're pretending to be nice and fair.

[jaycee]

Double ~~sigh~~