Posted on 08/17/2007 1:32:28 PM PDT by nuconvert
Financial pressures force Snow departure
By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON - White House press secretary Tony Snow said Friday he'll leave sometime before the end of the Bush presidency because of financial pressures.
He declined to say when he would depart, but that, "I'm going to stay as long as I can."
The 52-year-old Snow, the father of three children, earns $168,000 as an assistant to the president but made considerably more as a conservative pundit and syndicated talk-show host on Fox News Radio. He was named press secretary on April 26, 2006.
The White House has been shaken by the resignations of some of President Bush's closest aides. Political strategist Karl Rove announced Monday that he would leave at the end of the month. Longtime Bush adviser Dan Bartlett left earlier this year and Andrew Card left earlier as Bush's chief of staff.
Bush's term ends on Jan. 20, 2009.
"I will not be able to make it to the end of this administration, just financially," Snow said. "This job has been such a pleasant surprise in how much I like it. I love it."
Snow has been undergoing chemotherapy after doctors discovered a recurrence of colon cancer in March. He said the last of eight scheduled chemotherapy treatments would be on Friday. On Monday he will have a CAT scan to evaluate his progress.
You are welcome, prairiebreeze :-)
You are welcome, Alamo-Girl!
You are very welcome, nuconvert.
:-) My take is exactly what I posted Tony as saying.
He is not resigning. There is no event. He is doing great. He had his last chemo Hooray! He has always said that he’s in until money is an issue.
Thank you for your very kind words, hgro. :-)
> That said, the Dems. will spin this as how he’s saying he can’t by on $168,000 a year, and what about children in poverty, yadda yadda.
Well, he made it easy for them to do so... he can’t handle getting a 6 figure salary until the end of Bush’s term (a little over a year) because it’s not enough money?
I feel for the guy, but if he’d just said he was leaving to spend more time with his family, especially with his health condition, I think that would make more sense to people. It was his decision and right to say what he wanted, but as press secretary you kind of have to think of how the public takes announcements like this. It just sounds weird.
Oh, thank you for praying for him, bannie! And thank you for your kind words.
:-) Thanks, Raster! Where would we be without the Snowman?
Some of the Snowflakes are the bestest and flakiest.
Wait... that didn’t come out right
LOL
:-) Danae thanks for your thoughtful message. LOL As for telling Tony, I think you just did.
Thank you, Shelayne! Exactly, God Bless Tony Snow!
I didn’t get that at first but I do now.
>>I think you were being grossly insensitive to our long-time friend. That should have been pretty obvious in what I said. I don’t care if Tony Snow says word one about why he’s leaving, it’s none of our business.<<
Well, there was an “if” and a “I think” as qualifiers but yes, I basically said that.
Tony’s personal life is none of my business. But I am interested in why there as turnover in the administration. That can be good or bad. In the second Reagan administration it signaled a turn around and a strong exit. In Clinton’s case it was his own people losing confidence in him.
So, I am sorry I said that. I don’t understand quitting at this point and citing money but I still shouldn’t have said what I said.
‘Flakes are the best!
So, you're saying a 70-80% reduction in pay isn't really a big difference to anyone?
I’m willing to take what he says at face value. $168k sounds like a lot to most Americans, but who knows what debts, medical bills, family problems, etc. he has? I’m sure he made much, much more at FNC, and it’s very tough to downsize your budget.
— JoeRepublc
Yes.
If you knew you had a 75% probability of being dead in the next 5 years, and could make $1.5 million for your wife and children per year vs. $168,000...wouldn’t you do it?
Dream on.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.