Tony Snow needs more money

There's something about "financial sacrifices" and $168,000 a year that I don't understand. Apparently Tony needs to make more money because he has college age kids. There are people with college age kids who make 20% of what Snow makes and manage to get by. There are people who get by on a lot less.

From CNN.com

White House press secretary Tony Snow will step down from his position soon, sources said Friday.

When contacted by CNN about his possible departure, Snow said, "I'm not making any announcement."

Snow told conservative talk-show host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday that "financial reasons" may prevent him for serving the remainder of his boss's presidency.

"I'm not going to be able to go the distance, but that's primarily for financial reasons." Snow said. "I've told people when my money runs out, then I've got to go."

According to The Washington Post, Snow makes $168,000 as the White House spokesman.

CNN has previously reported that Chief of Staff Josh Bolten told senior White House staffers that unless they could commit to staying until President Bush leaves office in January 2009, they should leave by Labor Day.

Snow, 52, had been treated for colon cancer in 2005. In March, during surgery to remove a growth from his abdomen, doctors discovered that the cancer had returned and spread to his liver.

Five weeks later, Snow returned to the White House podium and continued to work as the president's chief spokesman as he underwent chemotherapy. In recent interviews, he indicated that his health situation had stabilized.

Before coming to the White House in April 2006, Snow had worked for the Fox News Channel and hosted his own nationally syndicated radio show.

He took a significant pay cut to take the job of press secretary and has talked publicly in the past about the financial sacrifices, as well as his passion for the post.

A Commander in Chief Who Knows Nothing About War

The Young Republican who asks a question and then starts throwing the the conservative talking points about the government being evil is interesting. He got a chance to present his propaganda from Limbaugh and Hannity.

Bush welcomes right-wing talkers to the West Wing

Right wing radio supporters usually deflect criticism about their pet propaganda meisters by claiming that "it's just entertainment." Somehow that gives them the right to say whatever they want and if their comments lead to hate or harm, then, well, "it's just entertainment." The Bush Administration must feel that the leaders of this three ring right wing radio circus are more than just entertainers since they were summoned to the White House, not to entertain Bush, but to help shore up support among the 25% of the population who still support him.

From the NY Daily News

For the second year in a row, President Bush called some of his closest radio friends to the White House for an off-the-record briefing and discussion.

Mark Levin and Sean Hannity of WABC (770 AM) were among the 10 conservative talk-radio hosts who met with Bush in the West Wing yesterday, according to Talkers magazine.

The others were Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz, Hugh Hewitt, Scott Hennen, Bill Bennett, Michael Medved, Lars Larsen and Janet Parshall.

Bush met with five hosts last fall, including Boortz, Hannity and Medved, Talkers noted, "to discuss issues and gauge the conservative talk-radio audience's feelings about issues and policies."

None of the hosts told their audiences about the meeting prior to its occurrence.

Nine hosts had their picture taken outside the White House - all except Hannity, who Talkers said arrived separately.

I guess Rush Limbaugh gets a separate audience with The Decider. And where was Michael Sadbitch Wiener Savage?

1958 Climate Change

Frank Capra was way ahead of his time. Here's a film he produced in 1958 warning of the danger of Climate Change.

Canadians Tell You The Truth About Health Care in Canada

The usual talking points against a national health care plan is that it's "socialized medicine" and in Canada, they have to wait months for elective surgery. Anybody who lives in a border state or anybody who has friends or relatives in Canada, knows this is just nonsense. Hospitals and the medical community are not owned by the government, so it's not socialized medicine and the waiting times are no different than they are anywhere else. I have health insurance that costs me over $300 per month and I had to wait six weeks with excruciating back pain before I could see a Neurologist. Is that long enough?

It now appears that Michael Moore has received a subpoena regarding his recent trip to Cuba made as part of his new film, Sicko. It shouldn't be surprising, I suppose.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 11:17 PM
Within 10 Minutes I Was in a Bed

From: Al
Date: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 8:51 AM
To: mmflint@aol.com
Subject: Hospital Care in Canada

Hello Mr. Moore,

Great job as always with Sicko! It was very interesting to see the way your health care system operates. I have many friends that live in the US, and it makes me sad knowing they may end up in a situation like the ones shown in your movie. I had always presumed that if you had health insurance in the US, you were covered. I didn’t know about all the red tape that comes with it.

I would like to share a story about the health care system in Canada. Please know that this is not a criticism on your system, but a clarification on our system. While my story isn’t as drastic as some of the others on the site, it does point out the incredible care that I received.

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I loved this man

Charles Lane 1905-2007

Anybody who could play somebody this cantankerous had to be one of the nicest guys around. What an amazing life and incredible contribution to entertainment. When you saw Mr. Lane in a part, you knew you were going to enjoy the show or movie. He was the oldest member of SAG and also a survivor of the 1906 San Fransisco earthquake. Another link to Hollywood's golden era is gone. Thank you for a wonderful life.

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Summer's Simple Pleasures

What is summer all about? The diner back home will be full of youths trying to be hot with Wildroot and Vaseline in their hair while they stay cool with Italian Ices and Carvel. But I'll be in a place where you'll need a jacket at night. I won't be going for Carvel but Dairy Queen right across from the lake, if we're good. I'll be sneaking Craven As and Matinees in the park whenever I can. I don't know why I even care that my Aunt and Uncle know that I smoke, but I do. I started a 34 year smoking habit right there and there was something extra special about those Canadian cigarettes and the cool summer nights. I'll be exploring the grain elevators at the dock, getting out there by walking across a railroad trestle. I never stopped to think that if I fell into the bay, I'd be a goner since I couldn't swim, but when you're a kid, you don't think about these things. It was right around this time that I came to realize that I was happiest by myself, exploring different areas. I would walk through the same areas every ten months or so because I spent my summers here, but ten months is a long time when you're a kid and even the same areas needed exploring once again. In the first few years of my summer visits, I couldn't wait to get back to New York. I missed the action, the activity, the crowded streets. But in later years, I came to dread the return home. It was like going from an open world, to one behind a wall. As an adult, it surprises me to realize that my it never occurred to my relatives to offer me a year round home. Maybe it did occur to them, but it was just too big of a deal for them and they didn't want me to miss the smelly subway, the hoods at school and the crap at home.

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