Snow Job

It is being rumored that Scotty McClellan's replacement as Press Secretary will be Tony Snow from Fox News. Following recent revelations about the NSA secret wire tapping of US citizens, misuse of intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq and the ongoing investigation of the outing of an under cover CIA agent, Mr. Snow will be at a decided disadvantage if he accepts the position. He is likely to be met by a hostile press corps frustrated by the evasions and non-answers by his predecessor.

Some administrations require a higher degree of ideological loyalty than others which can severely tax the credibility of the White House's liaison to the news media. Perhaps this is the reason for choosing a journalist with no credibility to begin with. Snow, along with his cohorts at Fox News, surrendered any journalistic integrity they may have once possessed to work for the Rupert Murdock propaganda machine.

Appointing Tony Snow as the White house Press Secretary will effectively remove any remaining expectation of credibility from the position. Snow’s credentials couldn’t get him a job as a security guard at Wal-Mart, which makes him the perfect selection for Press Secretary in George Bush’s White House. True, he may have neither honor nor integrity as a journalist but, to this administration that makes him even more attractive.

Serious journalists should be offended, not only that Tony Snow might be the next Press Secretary but, that this administration considers Fox News in the same league of journalism with the traditional news media. Selecting someone from Fox News for a serious political position is an attempt by this administration to acknowledge Fox as a legitimate news agency, which it is not.

If you haven't already done so, go to Media Matters.org for a well researched list of lies, spin and misleading comments by Tony Snow that should convince anyone of this man's shameless partisanship and hatred of all things liberal. By the way, the web site, Media Matters for America, is an important resource for progressives and deserves your support. The site was developed by David Brock, a reformed conservative journalist who intimately understands the power of the news media and the importance of holding people accountable when they attempt to misuse it.