July 14, 2008
Remembering Tony Snow
Harry Smith: A Great Presidential Press Secretary, Who Was Authoritative, Graceful And Personal
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Tony Snow smiles as he is introduced by President Bush as his new Press Secretary in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington in this Wednesday, April 26, 2006 file photo. Presidential spokesman Tony Snow's surgery to remove a small growth showed that his cancer has returned, the White House said Tuesday, March 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
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Play CBS Video Video Thoughts On Tony Snow Counselor to the President Ed Gillespie speaks with Bob Schieffer about the death of former White House Press Secretary and conservative journalist, Tony Snow, who died of cancer at the age of 53.
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I used to fight with Tony Snow on TV. Not fight really so much. It was more a form of verbal wrestling. Spirited events that I think the both of us enjoyed.
A Presidential Press Secretary’s job is to make sure his boss' message gets out. And Tony Snow knew how to do that with the right combination of authority and grace. Having a sense of humor didn’t hurt either.
As reporters when we’re doing our job correctly…it’s our responsibility to hold an administration’s feet to the fire. Find out who is responsible for what decisions…who is accountable for certain actions.
Snow always knew what we were after and instead of dismissing our inquiries, he often took them as an intellectual challenge. He’d question our assumptions and conclusions. Fault our logic, or disagree with a premise. He made us work harder and think more. Never a bad thing when it comes to those who think we know it all. With Tony Snow it was never personal, even rarer now these days in politics.
By Harry Smith
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