What’s that old saying? Something about rats deserting a sinking ship?
Whatever the cliche, the stampede to leave the Bush Administration before it flames out in a historically unprecedented legacy of failure and stupidity continues. Tony Snow, former Fox News ‘journalist’ and current White House Press Secretary has announced his plans to resign. Snow will be replaced by his deputy, Dana Perino.
Said Snow:
“I’m not going to be able to go the distance, but that’s primarily for financial reasons. I’ve told people when my money runs out, then I’ve got to go.”
A perplexing comment, since Snow makes around $168,000 a year. He’s had some recent health problems, so perhaps the six-figure salary isn’t cutting it. Ironic, since he’s the mouthpiece for a government that steadfastly refuses to implement anything even remotely resembling a public healthcare system.
Some observers have had Snow on resignation watch for a while now. Apparently, he was starting to get a little ‘snippy’ in briefings:
CBS News’ Bill Plante: “Your tolerance level seems to be slipping.”
Snow: “Really? Am I getting cranky like you? Wow.”
Zing! Of course, you can’t blame Snow for getting peevish. It’s not easy getting a daily pummeling over debauched Republican Senators, a disastrous foreign war, illegal government surveillance and the overall ineptness of the sitting president. I’d be cranky, too.
But I can’t help feel a little sadness over Snow’s departure. Whoever replaces him, it seems unlikely that their last name will have so many sarcastic applications- using ‘Snow Job’ or ‘getting snowed’ was such a useful shorthand for the carnival of spin tumbling out of his mouth.
It is funny to watch isn’t it!
Just one point, fyi, is that I understand the administration asked anyone who didn’t want to stay on until the very end of the Bush term in January 2008 (yeah!) to submit their resignations before September, so that the White House could have their whole team in place for the last year and a half of the term, and not have to worry about people wanting to go back to private life during that last stretch. So that’s part of the reason there have been so many jumping ship this month, just for context.
Also, on the $168,000, even beyond any health costs, while $168,000 may seem like a lot to you or I, I’m sure it was a big paycut for Snow when he moved to the White House, and it’s not like he moved his family into a smaller house, or his kids into cheaper schools, and cheaper clothes, etc… etc… when he took the job (at least PROBABLY not). So, while a $168,000 salary is great, it’s perhaps not SO great for someone who has the monthly expenses of someone making $250,000 a year (I don’t actually know what Snow used to make, but I’m sure it’s significantly more than what the White House gave him). Anyone can live, or support a family on $168,000, but I wonder if Snow didn’t have trouble paying his mortgage at that salary. If I got $168,000 a year, I could upgrade everything in my life. Snow would probably have had to downgrade at that salary, and if he chose NOT to downgrade he could very well need to get back up to where he was now, to keep his family living the life they had become accustom too. For which, who can really blame him?
Suggested exit line for Snow when he finally can’t stand the heat any more: ” HELP! I’M MELTING! I’M MELTING”