It took about 10 seconds for the far-left smear Web sites to begin attacking Tony Snow, who today was appointed the new presidential spokesman. The smear sites spit out the usual out of context garbage, trying to portray Snow as anti-Bush because Tony did criticize the president on occasion, and at the same time saying he's a shill for Bush. Not much logic in the smear world.
Now, all of this would be inconsequential, except for the fact that the head of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean is working hand in hand with the far-left bomb throwers. And Dean releases their propaganda under the DNC banner. This is flat out disgraceful, as is Dean. Even liberal Senator Dick Durbin praised Tony Snow, but not Dean. He remains America's most unhinged politician.
Also, the far-left smear machine has a few so-called mainstream journalists in its pocket. So the propaganda often winds up in your newspaper.
The truth about Tony Snow is this: America is a better country because he will be in the Bush White House. Snow is not a "bubble" guy. He'll tell the president what he thinks and he will not sugar coat it. He'll also confront irresponsibility on the part of the White House press corps.
There are idealogues among that group, like Helen Thomas, people who are not looking out for the folks, but who are pushing a political point of view.
Snow will effectively deal with that, I believe. There is, of course, smearing on the right. There's one despicable radio guy who's so dishonest and hysterical, no serious person will engage him.
But the far left in this country has the ear of the media, while the far right does not. That's the key difference.
President Bush made a wise decision in placing Tony Snow in a position of responsibility. The Bush administration is tottering. It has lost credibility among non-ideological Americans over Iraq, immigration, and oil prices.
If the president doesn't begin to assert himself in a meaningful way and start solving some of these vexing problems, he'll be down in history alongside Jimmy Carter in the presidential rankings.
Tony Snow will help the president. How much is impossible to predict, but Snow's a good man, a courageous and honest guy. And people like that can never be bad for the country, no matter what kind of smears Howard Dean and his disgraceful minions throw out, that's the truth.
And that's "The Memo."
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
One note before we get to the ridiculous item, I was supposed to interview Senator John Kerry today, but the senator had to fly back to Boston to take care of some matters there. So we will reschedule that interview, and I am looking forward to speaking with Senator Kerry.
Now for "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day."
The P.R. people for the Rolling Stones deny a UPI story that said Mick Jagger would not give up his hotel suite in Vienna, Austria, so President Bush could have it in the summer summit meeting there in that city.
P.R. firm Rogers & Cowen says the story is completely untrue. No one ever asked Mick Jagger to change his plans. OK. Ridiculous? Well, we'll see what happens. That's UPI, not us. UPI.
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