Tony Snow’s gift for understatement; Update: The top ten exchanges with Helen Thomas
posted at 3:07 pm on September 14, 2007 by see-dubya
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
Tony Snow admits it: the White House just didn’t see the defeat of Shamnesty coming.
“I freely admit that we underestimated the (public) skepticism,” Snow said over breakfast with a group of reporters on his final day on the job.
Snow said that the White House was not prepared for the anger of foes of illegal immigration, who believed that government at all levels had failed to secure the nation’s borders. While the public backlash is aimed “not merely (at) the Bush administration,” he conceded that the White House “made some miscalculations, as well.”
They may be listening to us a bit. Snow’s making sense about securing the border and restoring confidence in the rule of law:
Calling America “a nation of immigrants,” he said Congress and the president needed to come up with a plan to deal with the about 12 million people who are illegally in the country today. “A lot of these people really are pursuing the traditional path to the American dream,” he said.
To win political support for comprehensive legislation, Snow said the government needed to re-establish “the credibility of the rule of law” by protecting the border and requiring illegal immigrants to pay substantial penalties — “not just a wrist slap, but something significant” — before taking their place “at the back of the line” to citizenship.
I always expected this was the deal that would ultimately be struck–a fence in exchange for an amnesty and vastly increased legal immigration quotas.
Snow has done his job well, but I’ve got to wonder about how he really feels about this issue. IIRC, he had criticized the Bush adminstration’s immigration policy before he was chosen as White House Spokesman. Then this year, he got stuck smearing lipstick on the shamnesty-bill pig. Has he really changed his view on the topic, or if he was up there gritting his teeth and crossing his fingers every day?
Well, he may unburden himself very soon. For now, (interestingly) he’s keeping quiet about the other candidates’ attacks on the President’s immigration policy:
Asked what he thought of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates’ repeated attacks on President Bush’s immigration record, Snow uncharacteristically demurred.
“Ask me that question in a week — or even tomorrow,” he said. “As the president’s press secretary, I’m not going to step into that one.”
Update (AP): Mortman, you magnificent bastard.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
I lost a great deal of respect for Snow during the surrender of sovereignty debate. The fact that he didn’t resign over the administration’s ridiculous position said more than enough for me, not to mention the pathetic arguments that Snow offered up, himself.
progressoverpeace on September 14, 2007 at 3:15 PM
Tony Snow had a job to do, and that was to communicate and advance the President’s policies; he did his job very well.
No matter what his personal opinion on illegal immigration- or anything else- he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t suck it up and represent the President’s views and policies even if he personally disagreed, at least to the public.
Hollowpoint on September 14, 2007 at 3:15 PM
Goodbye, Tony. God bless you and good luck with your illness. You will be missed.
Viewtifulgare on September 14, 2007 at 3:15 PM
…or at least by some of us…
Viewtifulgare on September 14, 2007 at 3:16 PM
This is one of the rare, rare cases where I actually begin to ponder whether Bush actually is mentally deficient. If he couldn’t see the backlash even when it was happening, is he really just so used to standing firm against whiny libs that he blocked out the sounds of those who supported him for so long?
MadisonConservative on September 14, 2007 at 3:17 PM
A little OT, but he isn’t looking well. But he was on Rush the other day and said his main chemo is over and he’s feeling stronger now. That made me feel terrific. He’s a very hard guy not to like, even when he’s wrong.
JiangxiDad on September 14, 2007 at 3:17 PM
Skepticism is not really the right word, Tony.
MB4 on September 14, 2007 at 3:19 PM
To me, the word reform implies a toughening of policies. It means a shake-up. Reform means to make big improvements in something that needs them.
So, considering the illegal immigration problem was so bad, that the policies were not being enforced, that illegals were being treated like legal citizens, someone coming along and touting reform of this mess, would naturally provoke a positive response from people concerned about how lax things were.
Instead, just the opposite definition of reform was adopted by the administration. To them, reform meant liberalizing the policy, rewarding illegals with citizenship, rather than deportation, not closing the border, and not enforcing current laws. That amazed me.
I never interpreted the word reform in quite that way before.
I will now.
jihadwatcher on September 14, 2007 at 3:20 PM
Bush is STILL doing it. Look at the Mexican truck deal. Look at the fact that he STILL refuses to seal the borders. He STILL refuses to press interior enforcement – all of which just keeps making the problem (that Bush claimed was too big, already, and needed immediate action) even bigger. It is intentional.
I like Snow, but I still don’t believe him about this. Not one bit.
progressoverpeace on September 14, 2007 at 3:21 PM
I don’t believe for a minute that they didn’t see the backlash, and if they did that they would have done otherwise. That’s not how GB operates. He has several (admittedly few) core beliefs which guide his behavior, public opinion be damned(which is more or less how it ought to be).
JiangxiDad on September 14, 2007 at 3:23 PM
The only core belief Bush has is globalism. He believes that all people are the same, borders are inconveniences to trade, and America can absorb and benefit from opening itself up to everybody else. And the islamists? They just misunderstand their own “beautiful religion”.
jihadwatcher on September 14, 2007 at 3:27 PM
jihadwatcher on September 14, 2007 at 3:27 PM
JiangxiDad on September 14, 2007 at 3:32 PM
Their just pursuing those dreams here instead of there like the huge numbers of willing immigrants from to far away to walk are doing.
My that makes it sooo easy to understand, so easy its still a bucket of crap just like it ever was before.
Just let us
bendbreak the rules this one last time.No! Where’s the crackdown, that’s not happening?
Where’s the needed changes in the judiciary process, that’s not happening?
Where’s the GD fence!?
Where’s any changes, at all!?
For the administration, it’s not a matter of can’t, it is a matter of won’t.
Can’t imagine why 250million Americans think the Pres. is a liar.
Speakup on September 14, 2007 at 3:41 PM
What made most of us even more mad, was the arrogance of the admin. thinking we were a bunch of kooks without any substance. This is how out of touch with reality they were. It was so obvious to us out in the real world, and so foreign to them in their elitist position. That the most fundamental belief in our country’s soveirnty (sp) was completly ignored. This was not a few loudmouths, this was the prevailing belief across the country. How could they have underestimated that, except by just not caring.
right2bright on September 14, 2007 at 3:44 PM
Exactly right, right2bright. I wouldn’t have minded the arrogance if they could have at least generated one sensible argument for their position, but they couldn’t. They got trounced in every single debate about the topic and still acted as if they were smart. They acted just like leftists, which made sense I guess, since they were arguing a way-out leftist position.
progressoverpeace on September 14, 2007 at 3:50 PM
NOT defending his immigration policy, but Bush didn’t lie about his intentions vis a vis illegals. He didn’t do what his base wanted. There is a difference. Frankly, the lying that’s going on, or spin on immigration, came from Tony, Chertoff, et.al.
JiangxiDad on September 14, 2007 at 3:52 PM
…then they are more clueless than we thought.
The RNC and the Admin. are wanting if they think we’re this blind on this topic, or the one where they constantly beg for money with “fear the Glacier”. Won’t cut it! Get yer head out of yer arses!
Entelechy on September 14, 2007 at 3:52 PM
JiangxiDad, you’re absolutely right. Btw, I like your comments on many topics. Regards,
Entelechy on September 14, 2007 at 3:54 PM
Do you think they were speaking their words or his?
Speakup on September 14, 2007 at 3:55 PM
That’s kinda funny. He doesn’t really have words, but I know what you mean. IMO, they were “defending” the President(badly), which was their job, but not the position.
Thank you.
JiangxiDad on September 14, 2007 at 4:04 PM
Viewtifulgare on September 14, 2007 at 3:16 PM
I think you actually may see more, not less of Tony, albeit at different venues, like Fox News.
Buy Danish on September 14, 2007 at 4:06 PM
Buy Danish may be a slogan whose time has come and gone…
Jaibones on September 14, 2007 at 4:13 PM
Go after the companies employing them. Without hope for employment many will leave on their own.
Really? My grandparents came here from another country to pursue the American dream, and they didn’t break any laws in the process. They went through immigration processing and my grandfather became a citizen as soon as possible. This did not involve sneaking across borders or using fraud and/or identity theft. I kind of thought they used the traditional path, silly me.
Buford on September 14, 2007 at 4:14 PM
Two new amnesty bills are moving through Congress. When will the blogs and talk radio start paying attention?
flenser on September 14, 2007 at 4:21 PM
I honestly don’t know. The last time I debated with him, it was on the Dubai Ports deal. He was for it. Of course, the powers that be recently dropped the interesting remark into our laps about it supposedly being a spying opportunity. I don’t think we really need to invite anymore Islamists here to create opportunity.
What I wonder about is how much can Tony actually talk about now? Certainly, as he has been privy to various discussions that may be classified, he may have to hedge on some things.
Connie on September 14, 2007 at 5:00 PM
That Helen Thomas list is brilliant. #4’s my favorits.
She and Soros are ending up together some day.
Entelechy on September 14, 2007 at 5:17 PM
Any slop sucking politician that supports any degree of amnesty will never get my vote. Rewarding criminals is stupid, stupid, stupid. I want honest immigrants, not lying, cheating, selfish @ssholes that don’t give a darn about our laws but only care about their own selfish wants. Screw them. They have already cost us way too much.
saiga on September 14, 2007 at 5:18 PM
If you were the Pres. would you want words coming from the mouths of the people that represent you that aren’t approved by you?
Don’t think for a minute that people close to the Pres. aren’t speaking his words.
Speakup on September 14, 2007 at 5:33 PM
No one speaks the words that the amnesty supporters did without either believing them or understanding how dumb they were. This leaves no room for anyone arguing for the amnesty – mouthpieces and policy people. They were all either stupid or intellectually dishonest. Take your pick as to which one any particular amnesty supporter satisfied.
progressoverpeace on September 14, 2007 at 6:02 PM
Mega, giga dittos
Texyank on September 14, 2007 at 6:30 PM
Wrong is never satisfied, illegal alien supporters will always want more.
Only one group of people will ever be content and that’s the people who have the right to demand satisfaction, US citizens.
Speakup on September 14, 2007 at 6:33 PM
Nice.
Tanya on September 14, 2007 at 9:16 PM
I chose that name because the first day that I participated in a blog happened to be at the time of the Cartoon intifada. It stuck, I’m not about to change it now, and I am quite fond of its enduring symbolism.
If you want to pick a fight with me, you may want to do it over something more controversial than the fact that I mentioned that Tony Snow is still going to be around.
Buy Danish on September 14, 2007 at 9:31 PM
Dear hotair.com:
I hate that my name is similar to Helen Thomas’s! Damnit, a lot of guys enjoyed the opening credits of “The Fall Guy” when I pushed open that swinging door and I was wearing my bikini. You don’t want to see HELEN Thomas in a bikini, do you?
Sincerely,
Heather Thomas
radjah shelduck on September 14, 2007 at 9:36 PM
How about a law which states that anybody who came into this country illegally might one day, after penalties and such, be able to gain resident alien status but not citizenship. Those who’ve entered legally will one day be able to gain citizenship if deserved…This way neither the Democrats nor Republicans will be able to continue to sell out this country to get the “hispanic” vote!
CCRWM on September 14, 2007 at 11:44 PM
I think you misread my post.
No. Their presence here is what is illegal, and is what they were trying to steal in the first place, not citizenship. The fact that ANYONE is willing to offer them citizenship, at all, is just ridiculous and far beyond the pale.
Illegals are trying to steal the right to live in the USA – a right which extends to no one but US citizens and those invited to stay in the US. Illegal aliens must leave. Period. That is the absolute minimum.
Those who have entered legally are not even part of this discussion.
Giving illegals residency status is selling out and surrendering. This is beyond argument. They are attempting to steal the right to be in the US and you want to give it to them. Doesn’t work.
progressoverpeace on September 15, 2007 at 2:03 AM
Comment pages: