Tony Snow's 1998 "executive privilege" column read back to him today at WH press gaggle

[sabra]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/03/snow_swallows_h.html#more

Snow swallows own old words

"What kinds of conversations does executive privilege protect?…What are the limits on privilege?'' a newspaper columnist wrote in the spring of 1998 on a subject strangely familiar today.

"Evidently, Mr. Clinton wants to shield virtually any communications that take place within the White House compound on the theory that all such talk contributes in some way, shape or form to the continuing success and harmony of an administration,'' the columnist wrote. "Taken to its logical extreme, that position would make it impossible for citizens to hold a chief executive accountable for anything.''

"Sounds like you're reading an old column of mine,'' Tony Snow, the Bush administration's press secretary, said today, readily recognizing his nine-year-old words read back to him today at a press gaggle in which Snow was arguing for Bush's right to protect the internal deliberations of his White House staff.

Not sure if he responded with anything else?

[blogslut]

1. No Wai!

I wish I could have seen the look on his face. :)

[waiting for hope]

2. Poor SnowJob - NOT!

If you become the Decider's mouth piece, you have lost your soul.

[wicket]

3. Oh, this is getting GOOD!

:popcorn:

[BOSSHOG]

4. I guess tony had something to hide too!

[benld74]

5. Yeah, Bbbbbut that was Clinton, He lied!

[Sherman A1]

6. Comes under the heading

some days you get the bear.... other days the bear gets you.....

sorta hoisted on our own petard... me thinks, eh?

[Roland99]

7. AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

[AllegroRondo]

8. I hope the Daily Show gets that one!

[question everything]

40. Keith Olbermann did (nt)

[lpbk2713]

9. *Ah .... B-B-But that's different.*

"I wasn't a BushCo Propagandist Press Secretary then." :shrug:

[NoPasaran]

10. "That column is inoperative."

[gatorboy]

11. Hey, Snow Job!

Zip it! :rofl:

[dicknbush]

12. Yeah and Bush said himself that the subpoenas issued to Clinton were partisan..

At least that is how I interpret what he said. During Clintons tenure 37 of his trusted advisers were subpoenaed over 47 times. I guess Bush must believe that was a partisan attack.

[radfringe]

13. THEN and NOW

THEN: Tony Snow (March 29, 1998: "Executive Privilege is a Dodge"

NOW: Tony Snow (March, 2007): "Executive Dodging is a Privilege"

[youthere]

21. ....

:spray:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

23. wish I could recommend a post.

boooootiful

[radfringe]

32. may be it will make the DUZY's for the week... lol n/t

[Old and In the Way]

29. Perfect!

:toast:

[DesEtoiles]

45. front page that!

[Lasher]

14. Where's the video clip?

I've gotta see that!

Aaaaaaaaa hahahahaha!!!!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. WHO read it to him??? OMG! I love, love, love having their

SHIT thrown back in their faces!:rofl:

[hootinholler]

22. I'm wondering too.

I sent it to Helen Thomas yesterday.

A bunch of people sent it to a lot of media people last night.

-Hoot

[Manifestor_of_Light]

33. I sent it to Mike Malloy and he read it on the air!!!

saw it on D.U. and sent him the 2 'grafs and the link to the Salon article.

He mentioned That it was from Salon.

:bounce:

[rodeodance]

16. i concur with this comment:

Tony, Tony, Tony,

You hypocrital twit.

"Different rules for different people" ought to be the neo-con national anthem.
Posted by: Doug Zook | Mar 21, 2007 10:22:58 AM

[samq79]

17. Priceless...absolutely priceless

Do we know who the reporter was because I want to buy him/her lunch!

[Supersedeas]

18. Oh how painful to see one's integrity twisting in the wind

[Supersedeas]

19. Oh how painful to see one's integrity twisting in the wind

[Fridays Child]

20. Please quote Tony, liberally. Here is his KEY observation from that 1998 op ed piece:

"Most of us want no part of a president who is cynical enough to use the majesty of his office to evade the one thing he is sworn to uphold: the rule of law."

[WinkyDink]

24. "No-one could have anticipated Chimpy."

[BluePatriot]

25. Haha, kudos to that reporter (nt)

[ClayZ]

26. Whoooot! K and R

[kath]

27. If anyone finds out WHO read it to Tony, please post it here.

Puh-leeeeeze? Inquiring minds want to know.

Also any video clips.

[Johonny]

28. But 9/11

changed everything...

[IChing]

30. Well, well, well the internets do have power.....LOL

That just made my day............

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

31. When I read about his quote last night I hoped that someone would throw it right back at him! Yeah!!

:bounce:

[robinlynne]

34. he laughed. Then he said "the left wing blogs must be passing that around."

[Clarkie1]

35. Is that what he actually said, seriously? nt

[Kool Kitty]

42. Yes. That is exactly what he said.

Was it Ed Henry of CNN that brought it up?

[napi21]

46. Congrats to Ed Henry! That was TERRIFIC! I knew there was a reason

I've always paid attention to your commentaries on WJ each morning!

Keep up the good work!

[LaPera]

36. Bush is above the law? The same republicans said Clinton nor any president is!

Back then, how about Hillary would they accept the same from her if she were president as Bush gets away with...We know the answer.

[progressoid]

37. Maybe that particular journalist read it here yesterday???

[question everything]

38. Excellent. Just watched this on Olbermann (nt)

[Bucky]

39. I'll bet now Snow wishes he'd written that editorial during the 18 day gap period instead.

Then we'd never be able to quote it to him.

[gravity]

41. This is what pisses me off the most with Bush's supporters

They are just partisan hacks. I might show some respect towards them if they have some fucking principles other than kissing the republican's ass.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

43. Any normal, decent human being would have resigned at this point

Apparently, Tony Snow is incapable of being embarrassed. These people have no face.

[gravity]

44. Well to Snow's credit, it is his job

It's probably the toughest jobs in the world actually. He gets payed to bullshit for the president, so really he is the only acceptable person allowed to spew so much shit.

You really can't expect the press secretary to be critical of the president, and extreme bullshit from the president requires even more bullshit from the press secretary.

[napi21]

47. O course it's his job to support the Prez and the admin. I find it particularly

funny that not only does Tony have to defend the Prez, but himself too! But that's what comes with having a public record of everything you said in the past, and taking such a high profile job NOW!

[Connonym]

49. "What does your daddy do for a living?" "He's a professional liar!"

Don't know if he's got kids but that would be an amusing career day at school.

[Oilwellian]

48. Tee hee

The only word that comes to mind at this point is "unhinged." :D

[sendero]

50. This is what happens...

... when you embrace the "situational ethics" your party has been denouncing for so long!

[polmaven]

51. He mumbled something

not being analagous, and that's all I could hear over the sound of my brain exploding.