We ran this item on September 14, 2007, Tony Snow’s last day as White House press secretary.

With Tony’s passing today, it’s worth remembering him in all his glory. Here are some of his best moments from those days:

Today is Tony Snow’s last day as White House press secretary.

There’s no way you can remember Snow’s service to this country without revisiting his edgy exchanges with Helen Thomas.

Here then are the Top Ten Tony Snow/Helen Thomas moments from his White House press briefings:

10.

MR. SNOW: I’ll call on you next, Helen. Go ahead.
Q Does the White House and the President share that same gut feeling?
MR. SNOW: I don’t want to try to get into gastrointestinal descriptions.

9.

Q Why did we send a B-52 carrying nuclear weapons from South Dakota to Louisiana, jeopardizing America?
MR. SNOW: My goodness, I don’t have an answer for that.

8.

MR. SNOW: Helen, and then to Mark.
Q The President emphasized September and he emphasized General Petraeus’ report — all week you moved away from September. Is it a real important date for us to decide things?
MR. SNOW: I think what the President is saying is –
Q Does he know that we have civilian rule in this country?
MR. SNOW: Yes. Do you?
Q I do.

7.

Q We are a conqueror. We should be asking the people, do they really want us there.
MR. SNOW: Helen.
Q Yes, sir.
MR. SNOW: Do you believe — well, no, you will scold me for asking a question, so I will not. I will phrase my question in the form of an answer.
Q You know, best defense is offense, is that your whole approach?
MR. SNOW: No, my –
Q I’m asking you a very –
MR. SNOW: No, my approach is to — well, you’re asking a simple question that actually has some fairly complex precedents in the terms of the advisability or possibility of a national –
Q You keep saying that they want us there –
MR. SNOW: Helen, Helen, Helen.
Q Put it to a test.
MR. SNOW: Helen, no war is popular. No war is popular.
Q That’s not the answer.
MR. SNOW: If you had done — no, it is — no, that is an absolutely accurate answer.
Q Nobody wants –
MR. SNOW: If you had asked in 1864 — I’ll go back to the Civil War — the referendum would have failed and Abraham Lincoln would have failed.
Q How do you know that?
MR. SNOW: Go back and read, just a little history will tell you.

6.

Q Has the President factored in any of how many people will die?
MR. SNOW: Helen, you ask that question every day, and I don’t know how I can –
Q It’s a very valid question.
MR. SNOW: And it’s a question he thinks about every day.
Q And does he care about it? Does it matter how many die?
MR. SNOW: Yes, it does. Absolutely.
Q Well, you have a benchmark now — this fall has been so lethal.
MR. SNOW: And the people who have been killing will kill even more if we walk away. I would turn you to The New York Times op-ed page today, where a Marine Major talks about –
Q Written by a Marine.
MR. SNOW: I’m sorry, does that make it suspect that he’s on the ground trying to save lives?
Q No, that doesn’t. But, I mean, he has to take the military attitude.
MR. SNOW: Well, you might want to read it, because the military — the military attitude is, warriors don’t like to be engaged in war if you can have peace, and generals don’t like to send people into battle unless they have to. The people who are instigating the violence in Iraq are ones who are determined to kill.

5.

Q We’re the invader. Do you realize that?
MR. SNOW: Helen, we’ve engaged in this conversation a few times. The Iraqi people have made it clear that they think that America’s involvement in unseating Saddam Hussein was historic and liberating. The real tragedy is that there are people who are willing to kill by the thousands to prevent Iraq from becoming free. And I would –Q How can they feel free when they’re under occupation?
MR. SNOW: I would warn against — I would warn against drawing moral equivalents between people who take IEDs and blow up civilians and Americans who are laying their lives on the line so that there can be a democracy in Iraq. As for our occupation, the United States would like to be able to leave as quickly as possible. The Iraqis would, too. But the Iraqis say, don’t leave until the job is done. We agree. It is important to win in Iraq as defined by a free democracy that sustains, governs, and defends itself.

4.

Q What’s the U.S. role in all this?
MR. SNOW: Well, the U.S. role is one of working with Israel and, when possible, with the Palestinians to try to generate a peace — the same it’s always been, Helen –
Q Then why is it bankrupting the Palestinians?
MR. SNOW: The Palestinians are not being bankrupted, Helen. What’s happening, as you know, is that there is — Hamas is a terrorist organization. We do not give money to terrorist organizations. What has happened is that this government has tried in a number of ways to make humanitarian aid available to the Palestinian people. We draw a distinction between Hamas, which is –
Q And they were democratically elected.
MR. SNOW: They were democratically elected and they’re still a terrorist organization.
Q By your designation.
MR. SNOW: Yes. Thank you very much, Helen. They are, in fact, by the designation of this government, this administration, and prior administrations. So let me continue my answer.
Q Go ahead.
MR. SNOW: Thank you.
Q You’re welcome.
MR. SNOW: By the way, that’s a nice apple.

3.

Q Well, how many people are dying every day?
MR. SNOW: It depends on what the — does it not depend on — well, let me put it this way, Helen, when people are dying because of car bombs it illustrates the difficulty of the situation and the nature of the people we are fighting.

2.

Q Do you not understand the difference between private companies and governments, sir?
MR. SNOW: I understand. I do understand. But what I’m saying here is, what the public — I’ll tell you what, you ask the American public, do you want — do you think you have a right to know the specific means and methods by which –
Q That’s not –
MR. SNOW: Helen, will you stop heckling and let me conduct a press conference.
Q — argument.
MR. SNOW: Well, no, I’m making an argument, and you’re pestering the teacher.

1.

Q The United States is not that helpless. It could have stopped the bombardment of Lebanon. We have that much control with the Israelis.
MR. SNOW: I don’t think so, Helen.Helen Thomas from NPR
Q We have gone for collective punishment against all of Lebanon and Palestine.
MR. SNOW: What’s interesting, Helen –
Q And this is what’s happening, and that’s the perception of the United States.
MR. SNOW: Well, thank you for the Hezbollah view.

Time magazine picked Vladimir Putin.  Weekly Standard went with David Petraeus.

They’re both wrong.  The Man of the Year, the winner of 2007 Extreme Man of the Year honors, is Tony Snow.

He’s the smartest hire the Bush administration made.  He was the most articulate voice on Iraq policy — and most other policies.   He had the most compelling non-military personal story of anyone in the administration.  And he’s someone who pulled off the unthinkable: he went out on top, with both his conservative credentials intact and with the love and adoration of the media.  Never again in our lifetime.

There’s also quantitative reasons to make Tony Snow Extreme Man of the Year.  An examination of our top ten most-read blog postings in 2007 puts Tony in the number two and number ten spots.  Clearly there was an appetite for Tony Snow.

Here’s the full listing of the most-read Extreme Mortman blog postings from 2007:
1) Oddly, our biggest hits in 2007 were about 2006 — the top ten funniest political quotes of 2006 and the top ten funniest things celebrities said about politics in 2007. So let’s go ahead and plug again this year’s lists: top ten funniest quotes by politicians in 2007 and top ten funniest media quotes of 2007.

And the rest of the list:

2) The best of Tony Snow versus Helen Thomas exchanges at the White House.

3) Don Rumsfeld chatting up Doug Feith! “Not just chatting, laughing. Laughing really, really hard. The kind of laughter that’s so hard it could cause a mistrial if the Scooter Libby jury ever heard it.”

4) After the Virginia Tech tragedy, a member of the White House press corps asks: “Does there need to be some more restrictions? Does there need to be gun control in this country?”

5) CNN’s “Fairness Doctrine”: the New Hampshire Democratic debate

6) “First, the Democrats turned against President Bush on Iraq. Then, Republicans. Now, who’s next? Could it be — yes, it is … it’s the White House press corps that doesn’t care for Bush’s Iraq policy. At least Bush’s Iraq policy on the White House press corps.”

7) “You know you’re in really sorry shape as a presidential debate moderator when another member of the press — a far more famous and powerful member — demands your resignation. That’s where we stand today with Des Moines Register editor Carolyn Washburn — and the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank.”

8) Remembering when we were all worked up about global cooling — the April 1975 Newsweek cover story.

9) “It’s Mourning in America“: Maria Bartiromo leaves us all depressed following the Republican presidential candidate economics debate.

10) Tony Snow: “As some people in this room are suddenly finding out, the alternative minimum tax is a way of declaring working people rich and raising their taxes. I know a number of you have suggested in recent days that you’re starting to feel the bite of the AMT.”

The good news: Another blogger gets cited by the White House press corps as the basis of a question; this time it’s radio talk show host and top blogger Hugh Hewitt.

The bad news: Is Tony Snow leaving?

From today’s White House press gaggle:

Q:  Tony Snow this week told Hugh Hewitt that he’s already made it clear at the White House that he’s not going to be able to go the distance, meaning serve to the end of the term. Has he submitted his resignation?

MR. JOHNDROE: You know, I had not heard that Tony had made those comments. I’m not aware of any resignation being submitted or anything like that.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino at today’s news briefing:

I do know that Tony Snow loves this job. He says it is the best job he’s ever had in his life. He, in fact, has called it “communications Disneyland.”

C-SPAN just ran last night’s National Press Club event where Tony Snow turned the tables.  He grilled the White House press corps.  (The Examiner’s Yeas & Nays explains more here).

At one point Snow brought up blogs, and posed this question to the panel:

I am all for blogs.  People ought to be empowered.  We have got this new democratic age of the media.  It is amazing, you get this hateful stuff that comes flying around.  One of the most important takeaways, not only should you not believe your own press, you should not believe the opposition’s blog?

Check out the full video of the program at C-SPAN’s web site here.

Any thoughts on whether (or weather) this is the dumbest question ever asked by a member of the White House press corps?

From today’s briefing with Tony Snow:

Q Presidents may not be able to predict the weather or change the weather, but is there anything that the President has been either briefed on about the current cold wave across the country, or any federal resources that are being brought to bear?

And just for the record, here’s Snow’s response: “I don’t know. I’ll find out.”

Actually, Tony, please don’t.

American Spectator senior editor Quin Hilyer makes this suggestion about White House press secretary Tony Snow:

… Snow has a great deal of the “right stuff” for which conservatives have been looking, perhaps enough of the right stuff to make the idea worth pondering for 2012 or even 2016 (he’s only 51 right now). And frankly, we really could do a lot worse for 2008.

If Snow can’t exactly pull off a race for president in 2008, there is another public office he ought to consider. Virginia’s senior U.S. Sen. John Warner will be just shy of 82 when the next election rolls around. After five terms in the Senate, he may just decide that he has had enough.

Think about it, readers. This White House press secretary really ought to serve in some high elective office. And despite the name, this is no Snow job, but a serious suggestion.

First, the Democrats turned against President Bush on Iraq.  Then, Republicans.  Now, who’s next?  Could it be — yes, it is … it’s the White House press corps that doesn’t care for Bush’s Iraq policy.  At least Bush’s Iraq policy on the White House press corps.
Extreme Mortman has obtained this letter sent this evening:

January 12, 2007
Mr. Dan Bartlett
Counselor to the President,
The White House
Washington, D.C.

Dear Dan,
On behalf of the White House Correspondents Association, and in conjunction with the White House News Photographers Association, we are writing to express our outrage that still pool photographers were denied access to the White House library on Wednesday evening.  As you know, following weeks of preparation and the White House build-up leading up to the presidential address,this was a significant foreign policy speech.  Forcing newspapers and magazines to rely on a screen grab photo from the Fox News network pool feed is simply unacceptable.
In recent months, there has been a growing pattern of restricting pool photographers to White House events, but the situation Wednesday night for this important speech to the nation is the most glaring.
We expressed our concern to Tony Snow and Dana Perino earlier today, and join the WHNPA in asking that this practice end.  These photographers provide a vital service to wires, magazines and newspapers around the world, while also serving as a lasting historical record to the events of our times.  In addition, a White House photo release is never an acceptable substitute for independent news coverage.  Therefore, in our strongest terms possible, we want to express our disappointment that a decision was made to keep even a single pool photographer from the room, and ask that it never happen again.

Regards,

Board of Directors - WHCA
Steven Scully, C-SPAN
Ann Compton, ABC News
Jennifer Loven, Associated Press
Peter Maer, CBS News
Steve Holland, Reuters
Doug Mills, New York Times
Ken Walsh, US News & World Report
Ken Herman, Cox Newspapers
Mike Allen, TIME

It’s a bit dated now, but still worth citing: “Al and Hillary ‘08: It’s Kumbaya Time, Dammit.”

Seen over Dan Carol’s Huffington Post blog post.

Thanks to Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts at the Washington Post’s “Reliable Source” for spotting that — as well as something else very special this morning.

Meanwhile, check out this hilarious YouTube moment created by John Edgell.  Click here, and sing along with Tony Snow and Raffi.

Ever in need of a kumbaya moment?  Need someone to grab the guitar, flick open the lighter, and have us join hands and come together around the campfire?  Then just simply enlist the help of Tony Snow, President Bush’s rock-ribbed conservative press secretary, who seems to have a greater share of kumbaya moments than most Republicans:

“I hate to be kumbaya, but we’re going to be kumbaya, because I got help and advice from a lot of people before I took this job.” (August 2 press briefing)

“Everybody assumes that when we talk about bipartisanship that it’s just sort of happy face, kumbaya stuff, and we’re really lying through our teeth.” (January 5 press briefing)

“The idea that somehow we would have an endless string of Kumbaya moments is sort of one of those things that you might wish were the case. But it’s human nature.” (September 8 press briefing)

“When you have General Casey going in and trying to brief a Prime Minister, nobody is singing ‘Kumbaya.’” (June 2 press briefing)