Former White House press secretary Tony Snow, whose cheerful conservatism and keen intellect tookhim to the heights of journalism and politics, died of cancer Saturday at age 53.
Snow, the original host of “Fox News Sunday,” died less than a month after another Sunday morning talk show host, Tim Russert of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” died at age 58.
“America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character,” said President Bush, who hired Snow as his press secretary in 2006. “It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work.”
Snow was 17 when his mother died of colon cancer, the same disease that struck the newsman in 2005, when he was host of “The Tony Snow Show” on Fox News Radio. After having his colon removed, Snow bounced back and was soon being courted for the White House job.
Although some colleagues warned Snow that he would be miserable defending an unpopular president during an unpopular war, Snow took the job anyway and relished it. He loved sparring with the White House press corps and had a special affection for its most liberal members, such as Helen Thomas, whose questions were among the most pointed.
During an interview with The Examiner, Snow said he hoped his upbeat outlook would restore a modicum of civility to the political debate.
“It’s all about tone,” he said. “A lot of the people who are caught in the middle of this fight are sick of it.”
Snow said the negative tone was one reason for the low job approval ratings of politicians in both parties.
“When you have a president in the 30s and Congress in the 20s, that’s bad,” Snow said. “And I think one way you restore it is by behaving. By acting in a genial way.”
Snow was widely viewed as a more effective press secretary than his predecessor, Scott McClellan, but his tenure in the White House was short-lived. In 2007, the cancer returned and spread to Snow’s liver. He battled the disease and remained on the job for several months before departing for the private sector.
Snow’s death prompted tributes from Democrats and Republicans alike.
“Tony brought great determination to his long career in journalism and public service,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat. “His approach to his battle with cancer was no different.”
Former Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend said Snow “was one of these people who didn’t just sip life — he gulped it.”
Former President George H.W. Bush, who once employed Snow as a White House speechwriter, told Fox: “He served people, and we can learn from that. He was kind, and we can learn from that. He was just a good person.”
