Requiescat in Pace

In my 20's I wanted to be Mick Jagger (and I would not have left Bianca for Jerry Hall, no matter how bad her politics!). In my 30's, I wanted to be Garrison Keillor. Again an odd political choice, but to write stories, sing old songs and read Walt Whitman on the radio seems a good gig.

Watching some of the tributes over the weekend, I'd like to be Tony Snow. I don't know that we agreed on everything, but he thought his positions through, presented them forcefully, and never lost his respect for -- and rarely the respect of -- his interlocutor.

The Wall Street Journal Ed Page has a nice tribute as well:

As a columnist and radio talk show host, Snow was principled but never nasty. As the host of "Fox News Sunday," he exuded good will, which made him suspect in the eyes of some on the right (and even among some of his Fox colleagues) who wanted him to be a more ferocious questioner. And as White House press secretary, he cheerfully but forcefully sparred with reporters in making the President's case on policy. No doubt because he was confident in his own convictions, he wasn't defensive about his answers. This has not been universally true during the Bush Presidency.

VP Cheney called him the best press secretary he could remember. I think he will change the shape of that office. His protégé occupies the post now, and future presidents will look to media, pundits and entertainers to get their points across. But I don't know that they'll find another Tony Snow. RIP.

Posted by jk at July 14, 2008 12:00 PM