As of this moment in time, there was no new "news" to view at the whitehouse web location. But yesterday, Mr. Tony the Snow-job was in fine form as the presidential spokesmodel. After reviewing the text, I began to ask myself: Is Tony nothing more than another pretty face - or is he the lipstick on the pig? Then he opened his mouth and confirmed my suspicions. Why the press puts up with the charade of a whitehouse delivered "news briefing" is beyond me. Have a Look:
MR. SNOW...Just a second. A couple of other items, Helen. You know I knew I would leave something -- can somebody bring me the DPC stuff, please? We do have a personnel announcement to make, and I left that on my desk. So I will vamp here for a second.
What?!? "Vamp for a second?" First of all, you are supposed to know the answers to questions, and then deliver them. You know the Press Secretary is in trouble when he defers to the press for answers:
Q State visit, or official visit? How do you characterize it?
MR. SNOW: State visit? Official visit? Do we have a characterization?
MR. JONES: Well, he's not the head of state, so it would have to be an official visit.
MR. SNOW: That's right, official visit.
Q Big dinner?
MR. SNOW: Terence, we will pass on all details as soon as they become available to us.
Q He's angling for an invite.
Q Ain't gonna happen.
MR. SNOW: Ain't gonna happen.
When you say that you are not going to comment further, why do you continue?
MR. SNOW...And while they continue to look, let me just make an announcement, that Karl Zinsmeister will be the head of the Domestic Policy Council. Karl has a very long and storied career in the journalism business, as well as others. His first job -- thank you, do you have the big, old, fat -- he's got a 48-page resume --
Q Can you spell his name?
MR. SNOW: Yes. Z-i-n-s-m-e-i-s-t-e-r. He is presently the editor-in-chief of The American Enterprise Magazine. He's actually been editing it from his home in New York state, where he's been raising his children. Karl is a J.B. Fuqua Fellow at The American Enterprise Institute. He has been editor-in-chief of The American Enterprise, I believe, since 1994.
Q "Karl" with a "k"?
MR. SNOW: With a "k." I will make no further comment.
But in any event, he started working on the staff of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan some time ago. His other accomplishments include having written two books on the war in Iraq. He's been embedded on two different occasions. He's been a film producer, he's been a weekly commentator on Radio America, on the board of advisors of the Department of Education's National Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching; he's been a research director for the working seminar on Family and American Welfare Policy. As I said before, he was an LA to Senator Moynihan, also received a bachelor's degree from Yale University. Somebody who has been toiling in the vineyards for quite a while, and we're --
Q What will his role be, exactly, Tony?
MR. SNOW: He's going to head the Domestic Policy Council.
Q So he's the President's chief Domestic Policy Advisor?
MR. SNOW: That would be correct -- I suppose if that's how we describe it, yes. And --
Q Did he take the place of Claude Allen?
MR. SNOW: That is correct, that's Claude Allen's --
Q Does he have basically the same responsibilities? Has the job been expanded or contracted?
MR. SNOW: That I do not know. I have not asked about specific responsibilities. I know Karl from my previous life, and I think he's a terrific hire.
But of course, we know he is genuine, because he says that he isn't about to blow smoke at us:
Q Are you concerned that people who speak up for your nominees are getting slapped down --
MR. SNOW: No, I just -- I literally don't have an answer. I will go take a look, but I have absolutely no comment, because I -- I won't blow smoke.
I see, you won't blow smoke when you don't have an answer, but you will blow smoke up our collective American skirts when you do? When Tony suggest that he really doesn't know an answer, I believe him, actually. Perhaps the newest strategy of the W, Rove and Co is to keep Tony in the dark so that he won't have to report any news....another way to promote a culture of secrecy and dark secrets that is the W, Rove and Co. world. If the Press Secretary is kept in the dark, so to are the American people.
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