White House press secretary Tony Snow today said he will leave the Bush White House before the end of the president's term, joining a long and growing list of top officials streaming out of the administration.
Mr. Snow, 52, who has been battling cancer, said financial pressures likely will force him to move on before Jan. 20, 2009.
"I will not be able to make it to the end of this administration, just financially," Mr. Snow said. In a radio interview Wednesday, he said that he has "already made it clear 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, he said Wednesday on the Hugh Hewitt radio show.
A slew of senior officials have left the White House this summer, including senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, who announced Monday that he would leave at the end of this month, and longtime aide Dan Bartlett.
Mr. Rove's top aide, Sara Taylor, also left this summer.
When Mr. Rove announced his resignation, he said that Chief of Staff Josh Bolten had asked that anyone who planned to leave before the end of President Bush's second term do so as soon as possible.
When Mr. Hewitt asked Mr. Snow about that Wednesday, the spokesman said: "I think that probably, as Josh said the other day, he thinks there are probably a couple coming up in the next month or so. I think the rule was, 'Let your intentions be known before Labor Day.' But I will let others make their announcements."
Mr. Snow said that Mr. Rove had kept his decision about resigning "pretty buttoned up. Only a small number of people really knew. And so my guess is that there may be some in the mix that we don't know about. There have been plenty to have been rumored over the years, can't tell you."
But when the radio talk show host asked Mr. Snow how long he planned to say, the usually affable spokesman said: "I'm not going to tell you."
At the end of the interview, Mr. Hewitt asked Mr. Snow if he planned to return to radio -- his job before taking the press secretary position -- after his White House days are over.
"Don't know what I'll do. But you know, I mean, a lot of my life story's going to be devoted to trying to help people with cancer and other stuff," Mr. Snow said.
Mr. Snow, the father of three children, earns $168,000 as an assistant to the president, but he made far more as a syndicated talk-show host on Fox News Radio. He was named press secretary on April 26, 2006.
Mr. 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.
-- Joseph Curl, White House correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (15)
Mr. Tony Snow a class act who I am sure will be missed. We will all say a prayer for a long retirement.
Posted by Mason of Clarksville, MI | August 17, 2007 6:59 PM
Tony was the sanity check needed for the press conferences. God Bless him.
Posted by Larry Stone | August 18, 2007 2:10 AM
A fine gentleman...... Hoping the cancer treatments work well..... Best wishes for you and your family
Posted by Linda | August 18, 2007 11:11 AM
Tony Snow has always been one of our favorite spokesmen in radio and public service. May you reteurn to health and know that our prayers are with you.
jerry and ginny
Posted by jerry and ginny | August 18, 2007 6:34 PM
Tony was such a refreshing personality after 'what's his name' (truly can't remember) and I hope he will be around for a long time for his children and wife, and for his music.
Posted by skeppmora | August 18, 2007 6:42 PM
Tony Snow was a "tell-it-lke-it-is" sort of man. No "pussy-footin'" around the issues and no "spin-doctoring". Also, he took no bravo sierra from the Press Corps. Bravo for him and Godspeed as well.
Posted by John Gazdig | August 19, 2007 5:28 AM
Ari Fliescher I Believe
Posted by David Sullivan | August 19, 2007 8:49 AM
How can the money 'run out'? He earns $168,000 as an assistant to the president. I spent 30 years as a Soldier and I'll never see that much money unless I win the Lottery. Sheesh.
Other than that, I like the guy. I respect his straightforward demeanor, and I wish him well.
Posted by sfc mac | August 19, 2007 1:02 PM
Maybe he will go back to Fox News and get back the same job he had at the White House, spinning the news of the lousy Bush administration! Oh and guys, Ari was not the last Press secretary, it was Scott McClellan. I actually met the guy in a bar called Third Edition in Georgetown. You guys should check GTown out, many of your GOP heroes hang out there ya know.
Posted by Brian K | August 20, 2007 6:54 AM
to sfc mac:
"How can the money 'run out'? He earns $168,000 as an assistant to the president. I spent 30 years as a Soldier and I'll never see that much money unless I win the Lottery. Sheesh."
Maybe his cancer bills are a little higher than yours? Also his housing/living costs in DC
Posted by Anonymous | August 20, 2007 10:29 AM
The guy is a mouthpiece for a President who history will treat as the worst president in American history. He was the ultimate "Yes" man and I believe Ari did the best job, Tony can't live on $170K? The real deal is probably about his health.
Posted by Peter | August 20, 2007 10:41 AM
Tony was nothing more than a slick parrot of Bush's failed attempts to control Mideast oil and help the rich get richer. The nation has already decided that anyone associated with Bush is likely a confused person at best and a liar at worst.
Posted by Matt Los Angeles, CA | August 20, 2007 11:26 AM
Hey SFC mac, any idea what his bills are? Sheesh yourself, dopey.
Posted by Ron Reale | August 20, 2007 12:18 PM
"The guy is a mouthpiece for a President who history will treat as the worst president in American history."
Oh, give me a break, Clinton was a national disgrace. Reagan wouldn't even sit in the Oval Office without wearing a suit out of respect for the American people, while Clinton used it as his own private brothel (which is a good indication for how little respect HE had for the American people.) And how would Carter fare in the "worst president in history" competition? Leave it to a whining Democrat to care more about politics than a man's life. So much for the "bleeding heart" stereotype. A Democrat's heart only bleeds for those who will help his own cause.
I think Tony Snow did a fine job, and I wish him the best in this difficult time.
Posted by Lance | August 21, 2007 1:14 PM
Hey Ron, I've lived in D.C., having been stationed there. I also support a disabled sister and take care of the family home. I KNOW what bills are.
GFY.
Posted by sfcmac | April 11, 2008 10:33 AM