Tony Snow Announces White House Departure

Press Secretary Says He Needs To Make More Money; Dana Perino Will Replace Him

(CBS/AP)  Tony Snow, the highly visible White House press secretary, will leave his job on Sept. 14 and be replaced by his deputy, Dana Perino.

"It's been joy to watch him spar with you," President Bush told the White House press corps in the briefing room Friday.

"I sadly accept his desire to leave the White House," Mr. Bush said.

Snow, who's battling cancer, had said recently he would leave before the end of Mr. Bush's presidency. The father of three children, Snow said he needs to make more than his White House salary of $168,000. He could earn far more money on the speechmaking circuit.

"He's smart. He's capable. He's witty. He's able to talk about issues in a way that the American people can understand," Mr. Bush said. "I don't know what he's going to do. I'm not sure he does yet, either.

"But whatever it is ... it's going to be two things - one, he'll battle cancer and win, and secondly, he'll be a solid contributor to society."

The 52-year-old Snow was a conservative pundit and syndicated talk-show host on Fox News Radio before he was named press secretary on April 26, 2006.

"This job has really been a dream for me, a real blast," Snow said at Friday's press briefing.

Snow has been undergoing chemotherapy after doctors discovered a recurrence of colon cancer in March. He said recent tests have revealed no new cancerous tumors.

Snow said his current plans are to give speeches, write, and otherwise stay visible in the political arena, as well as to speak about his cancer experience. "It's proved to be helpful to people," he said.

He is the latest in a string of White House officials to head for the exits.

Friday was the last day of work for political strategist Karl Rove. Others who have left since Democrats won control of Congress are counselor Dan Bartlett, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, budget director Rob Portman, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and Meghan O'Sullivan, another deputy national security adviser who worked on Iraq.

In 2005, Snow had his colon removed and underwent six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. This March, he underwent surgery to remove a growth in his abdominal area, near the site of the original colon cancer. Doctors determined it was a recurrence of his cancer.

He was out of work for five weeks, then returned and underwent chemotherapy, treatments that only recently concluded and have left him thinner, grayer and with less hair.

Snow earned his stripes within the White House for his striking popularity around the country, relentlessly good-natured and bright tone, and smooth, snappy repartee with the media during briefings. Reporters, though, grumbled that an emphasis on showmanship too often took precedence over rhetorical precision and careful preparation.

Some senior White House aides referred to his briefings as "The Tony Snow Show."

Snow was President Bush's third chief spokesman in just over six years that have been marked by increasingly tense relations between the White House and the reporters who cover it.

Snow had little experience as a press secretary before joining the White House team. He worked in the White House under Mr. Bush's father as a speechwriting director and spokesman for regional issues. As a pundit, he had been sharply critical of Mr. Bush at times.

He held several print journalism positions, mostly working for newspaper opinion pages, and was most recently the host of the "Tony Snow Show" on Fox News Radio and "Weekend Live with Tony Snow" on the Fox News Channel.

Perino, 35, has been Snow's principal deputy, filling in for him when he was away after surgery and at other times.

On taking over the job, Perino remarked, "He leaves very big shoes to fill, and I'm only a size 6."

Before joining the press office, she worked as associate director of communications at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

[zootallures2]

I heard he has AIDS.

[starleo146]

"Snow said he needs to make more than his White House salary of $168,000." I agree with Jane501; that statement is a slap in the face to all Americans who work for a living. Snow is just another greedy assshole who is looking for the "easy way" to make a fast buck.

Posted by torocaca at 07:55 PM : Sep 01, 2007

There it is the republican way.

[torocaca]

White House press secretary is a thankless job.
Especially in the Bush Admin. I was surprised when Snow took the job. Who needs it? Spouting b.s. with a straight face. Playing verbal ping pong with the press.
Posted by Keithle1 at 10:46 AM : Sep 01, 2007
---------------

To Snow it''s hardly a thankless job if he can more than double his post-press secretary salary simply by giving nonsense speeches that no one would pay for if he hadn''t been press secretary.

The American Sheep will pay big bucks to listen to BS if it happens to come from the mouth of someone who spent a few months kissing the asss of the POTUS.

"Snow said he needs to make more than his White House salary of $168,000." I agree with Jane501; that statement is a slap in the face to all Americans who work for a living. Snow is just another greedy assshole who is looking for the "easy way" to make a fast buck.

[likeitis5050]

Hmmm...it''s wonder Bush couldn''t get him a raise to keep him. Obviously he intends to keep working, since he can''t make it on his bloated salary as is. You have to wonder what kind of money Bush will be pulling down once he hits the circuit. What a game they have going while the majority of Americans just live paycheck to paycheck and hope some crisis doesn''t knock them off the ride altogether. Politicians really are bottom feeders.

[johnshaft4]

"You did a heck of a ("Snow") job, Tony..."

[hungry1968]

Good riddance - sc&umbag!! Don''t let the door hit your as*s on the way out.

I''d also suggest that you take the rest of the ilk with you, but most of them have already jumped ship. The movie about this disaster is going to be called "Titanic II".

[bobnjersey]

[Snow earned his stripes within the White House for his striking popularity around the country, relentlessly good-natured and bright tone, and smooth, snappy repartee with the media during briefings.]

he earned those stripes because he was a lying sack of $h!t like the rest of them.

[jane501]

It''s unfortunate that Mr. Snow has cancer but him publicly stating he can''t live on his current salary is a slap in the face to all Americans especially those of the working middle class who get hit hard with taxes. That group pays a large majority of his salary & most of them would kill to make 1/4 of that! His comment was disrespectful, distatsteful, and down right rude! As far as the speaking circuit goes most of these people command a much greater price than they are worth! They use their celebrity status to milk yet even more money out of the system. Politics has certainly gone to the dogs. Whatever happened to good old HONESTY and integrity? Everything is in a huge mess in this country because all politicians have removed these two words from their vocabulary & replaced them with self-serving, egotistical agendas.

[danstoned]

Tony Snow, another GOPig FASCIST bites the dust for disshonest reasons. Can''t these GOPigs ever tell the truth? I''ve never met an honest Republicon in my life, so I guess its all learned behavior from their bigoted family upbringing.

[keithle1]

White House press secretary is a thankless job.
Especially in the Bush Admin. I was surprised when Snow took the job. Who needs it? Spouting b.s. with a straight face. Playing verbal ping pong with the press.