February 2007

White House Press Secretary Discusses Career, Current Events at GW

By Zak M. Salih

From his days as a young journalist working the police beat through his tenure as a Fox News anchor to his current role as White House press secretary, Tony Snow has been an enduring presence in both journalism and politics. His life and career—as well as current events—were the focus of a candid interview with Professor of Media and Public Affairs Frank Sesno before a standing-room-only audience in GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium on Jan. 25.

Snow discussed his decision last spring to leave his lucrative position at Fox News and succeed former press secretary Scott McClellan.

“It ended up being an easy sell,” he said. “Once I got interested, I couldn’t stop getting interested.”

Since then, Snow hosts press briefings every morning with representatives of print, television, and Web media, explaining President Bush’s decisions in the face of a barrage of questions. Snow did the same throughout the evening at GW, tackling questions from Sesno and audience members on everything from the administration’s new approach to the war in Iraq to media bias.

Defending the war in Iraq amid increasing public disapproval, Snow said Americans need to understand that wars are always unpopular. The president’s new approach to the war entails giving Iraqi troops more responsibility and increasing the level of military engagement to focus on local districts, according to Snow.

He stressed the importance of investing more time and effort in Iraq, and said that to leave now would send the wrong message to America and the world.

Snow presented a picture of President Bush as a man faithful to his convictions. “One of the reasons I’m proud to work for this president is that he says, ‘I know it’s going to be tough, but I have to put in place the institution and I have to put in place the policies that are going to allow the next president to be effective in fighting a long war against terrorists,’” he said. “The most solemn obligation of the president of the United States is to defend this country and its people.”

Audience questions touched on a variety of issues including the current state of reporting and the role of the media in setting a national agenda, global warming, Snow’s recent battle with cancer, and how he juggles his responsibilities as press secretary with those of a husband and father.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu