Republican darling Tony Snow, conservative writer, media commentator and former White House press secretary, died Saturday after his battle with colon cancer. He was 53."America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character," President Bush said. "It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work."
Snow, who served as the first host of the television news program "Fox News Sunday" from 1996 to 2003, would later say that in the Bush administration he was enjoying "the most exciting, intellectually aerobic job I'm ever going to have."
With a quick-from-the-lip repartee, he became a popular figure around the country to the delight of his White House bosses. He served just 17 months as press secretary, a tenure interrupted by his second bout with cancer.
Citing not his health but a need to earn more than the $168,000 a year he was paid in the government post, Snow resigned as Bush's chief spokesman last September and in April, he joined CNN as a commentator.
Although a star in conservative politics, as a commentator he had not always been on the president's side. He once called Bush "something of an embarrassment" in conservative circles and criticized what he called Bush's "lackluster" domestic policy.
Most of Snow's career in journalism involved expressing his conservative views.
He was the editorial page editor of The Newport News (Va.) Daily Press and deputy editorial page editor of The Detroit News before moving to Washington in 1987 to become editorial page editor of The Washington Times.
Snow left journalism in 1991 to join the administration of the first President Bush as director of speechwriting and deputy assistant to the president for media affairs. He then rejoined the news media to write nationally syndicated columns for The Detroit News and USA Today during much of the Clinton administration.
Born June 1, 1955, in Berea, Ky., Robert Anthony Snow spent his childhood in the Cincinnati area. Survivors include his wife, Jill Ellen Walker, and three children. AP