Shoveling Snow

April 26, 2006

Most Bush critics seem to be congratulating [tag]Fox News[/tag]’ [tag]Tony Snow[/tag] for his new gig as [tag]White House[/tag] [tag]press secretary[/tag] by reminding him of the many, many disparaging remarks he has made about the president from recent years. But I’ve noticed a handful of [tag]Bush[/tag] allies offering a compelling response: if the White House is bringing in an outsider who has criticized the president, then Bush’s dreaded “[tag]bubble[/tag]” must not be as bad as advertised.

It’s a relatively fair point. Since Josh Bolten took over as WH Chief of Staff, we’ve seen some relatively high-profile staff changes, but nothing of any real substance and nothing that suggests a change in direction at the White House. Indeed, the “shake-up” has been more about public relations than anything else — with one loyal Bush insider replaced with another. A week ago, Josh Marshall remarked, “This ‘shake-up’ has yet to see anyone actually penetrate the Bush White House bubble.”

With this in mind, it suggests that bringing in Tony Snow from FNC is, at a minimum, an example of the White House hiring someone from outside Bush’s inner circle. Granted, Fox News is about as close as you can get to Bush’s bubble without being literally in the West Wing, but nevertheless, the new White House press secretary, literally just five months ago, said, “George Bush has become something of an embarrassment.”

On the other hand, I still believe the Bush gang hasn’t popped the bubble yet. They didn’t hire someone to help the White House get back on track — they hired a better public relations guy who’ll try and tell us the White House is back on track.

Of all people, Ed Helms at The Daily Show recently offered a pretty solid explanation of this political dynamic.

“They read the polls; they know most American think their policies are failing, so they responded — by changing the person who tells us about those failures. It’s quite a bold move…. Every house-cleaning begins by changing the doormat.”

So, yes, I will concede that Snow is not just another example of moving around a few deckchairs. And, yes, I congratulate Bush and his aides for finally hiring someone who is a) not a Texan; and b) not someone who has loyally stood by Bush’s side for the last six years. But the fundamental problem remains the same — it’s never been about the staff, it’s about the president and a failed agenda.

April 26, 2006 at 3:19 pm

I don’t see where any small, unimportant comments by Mr. SnowJob over the years – all the while working with the Republican propaganda network – make any substantive changes. As Big Eddie just said: “this guy is a hard right wing ideologue, who will represent the desires of the base as much as he’ll represent the White House.”

All this does is prove that the best thing that could happen to us is to find a way to throw every white boy in a pinstriped suit – regardless of party – out of Washington D.C., and start over.

Self-serving comment follows: I’ve commented on this Democratic ability to be the “gelded partners” that Grover Norquist spoke of back in 2004 over at TAFM – http://www.thatsanotherfinemess.com – today.

That the PR flacks masquerading as “journalists” are thinking this is a “new era of openness,” then I have to stop recommending you watch “Network” to figure this out – this is farfarfar beyond “Network” now.

Tony snowJob is a professional hater, a far right wing talk show host, and a fascist pig. Anyone who thinks otherwise is suffering from Cranial-Rectal Adhesion Syndrome.

Your comment seems to assume that the Press Secretary has significant input on White House policy.

While Snow has had some harsh things to say about Bush its not the least bit evident that he actually had any viable alternatives or even if he did that as spokesman he will have any real input. It isnt his job. His job is to make things sound and taste better to the public.

In otherwords there is little evidence that he will pop the bubble, but rather has been brought in to reshape the same message in a package that might be more acceptable to Bush’s base – his only supporters left that he needs to motivate to vote in 2006 so as never to be held accountable for his administrations actions while still in office.

“the “shake-up” has been more about public relations than anything else”
Absolutely, and the fact that the closest thing to an outsider has a job that is almost exclusively public relations hightens that fact more than change it.

Absolutely, and the fact that the closest thing to an outsider has a job that is almost exclusively public relations hightens that fact more than change it.

Couldn’t agree more. I think we’re saying the same thing in different ways. (Maybe I explained my thoughts poorly.)

My point is that they’ve changed salesmen, not products. Snow isn’t from the inner circle — which makes this hire unusual — but the inner circle is still where policies and agendas are shaped.

In other words, it’s window-dressing.

CB — In other words, it’s window-dressing.

Translation: Like fake snow on a winter scene in Macy’s window at Christmastime (when all of the stores sell, sell, sell).

Snow has merely observed, as have many right
wing ideologues, that Bush is not conservative
enough. God forbid Bush should listen to them,
and make matters even worse than they are.

I also think Snow was hired because he will
handle the press better than McClellan. Snow
is a smoothie, a television personality, a man
with some stature, a professional ideologue,
who should be able to manipulate and intimidate
the White House press corps. Just watch.
A handsome man, too. Studies show that the
beautiful people command respect and admiration
just for their looks.

I think it’s a brilliant move from their perspective.
Form without substance, but I bet they get some
mileage from the change.

Condensed (behind the scences) version of the Snow choice:

Bush negotiators:

Tell Tony that his country needs a shrewd liar right now.
Tell him: Don’t let your country down in its time of need.

Snow negotiators:

Tony knows all that. He is willing, but he wants to further capitalize on this opportunity. Will he be given access to Bush’s ear?

Bush negotiators:

We guarantee the President will love to hear his ideas.
By the way… does Tony run or lift weights?

Snow negotiators:

No. But he can lie about that real good.

In other words: this is a faux match made in Fox heaven.
It will disintigrate in a wonderful blaze of hubris.

I’ve had a lot of thoughts on the staff shakeups that I haven’t posted here or on my blog- as usual I have a lot more to say than I ever actually write, because I’m very busy and I feel pressed for time. But the short version of my thoughts on at least the McClellan-Snow switcheroo is that it was kind of a symbolic sacrifice: it makes the press corp feel like they’ve gotten something done (at least on a kind of subconscious level- it’s a change), or lets some steam out of the pressure-cooker. If they were getting really frustrated w/ Scotty and it was coming to a head, maybe the Whitehouse doesn’t want to be surprised by what happens if the “opposition” press corp decides to kick it up a notch. If the primary reason they were considering changing staff was because poll numbers were low, which seems likely, then of course the first guy they’re going to consider changing is the guy who’s the most direct voice of the WH to the public.

McClellan had just picked up an aura or reputation of being sort of this embattled person- it was really persistent. This kind of makes things fresh. It’s almost an “any change would be better than no change” kind of thing- so long as the replacement isn’t a total putz.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone thinks that changing the Press Secretary makes a bit of difference in how people are going to view the effectiveness of the Bush adminsitration.

I mean, do our media geniuses really believe that changing the guy whose only role is to brief the press about what the administration is doing actually changes what the administration is doing?

I’m really befuddled by this one. Can people seriously be buying this??

Really, who gives a crap who the press secretary is? What difference does it make? Unless they just believe that Snow is a better liar than poor little Scotty was.

They are just looking for some one to throw under the bus who they don’t really care about. They may even enjoy the fact that his public image will be destroyed by the daily fiasco. That’ll larn him….

Tony is a smug confident right wing televison journalist, accustomed to having opinions, and considers himself a legitimate reporter.

Now following in the footsteps of an embattled stonewalling disinformer.

Unless the White house really is now going to open up and impart honest information, Tony is in for a transformation…. for which he may not be ethically or temperamentally suited. Not many human beings are capable of walking in Scotty’s footseps.

To modifiy an old joke.
Did you hear that scientists are now jusing Scotty instead of rats in some experiments?
Yeah, They had to when they discovered there were some things that even rats wouldn’t do.

Now this joke is on Tony.

Amid rampant speculation, it is rumored that Fox News and the Bush administration will be collaborating on a new program direct from the White House. An unnamed Fox source has confirmed the speculation and has provided some further information to Thought Theater. Bucking the trend towards reality based programming; the show is expected to be loosely based upon the selective facts surrounding the internal workings of the President and his policy operatives. The source went on to say that the program will have a superficial talk show – game show format where reporters will be allowed to ask questions and then each member of the White House Press Corp will use a hand-held device to vote on whether they believe the answers that are provided by Tony. Once the question and answer session is completed, the reporter with the most correct votes will enter a soundproof booth with Helen Thomas.

Helen will be wired with a microphone. Tony will then turn on Helen’s mic and allow her to ask a question. Once the question has been asked, the Press Corp votes again on whether the question should be allowed or whether the winning reporter in the sound booth should bitch slap Helen and end her questioning. The unnamed source, when pressed, refused to acknowledge that the tabulation system had been provided by Diebold. At that point Brit Hume’s voice was overheard in the background calling for security. The phone then went silent. Efforts to contact (Juan) the source have since failed.