The Spokesman Made for Cable

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com

Tony Snow is increasingly being embraced as a rock star in Republican circles -- but his responsibilities as White House press secretary are suffering accordingly.

Snow's glib, confrontational approach to reporters -- rarely giving straight answers to even the simplest and most legitimate questions -- has made him a hero to Bush partisans and a darling of the right-wing media.

But it's becoming increasingly clear that the fears that some journalists had when Snow first came to the job from Fox News last May have been realized.

Not surprisingly, considering his background, Snow seems to treat his encounters with the press more like a cable show than as an opportunity to provide the public with a fuller picture of what's going on inside the White House. His prime goal seems to be to "win the half hour" -- which generally entails out-talking and mocking your opponent, rather than mustering facts and actually staking out a persuasive position.

(More here.)