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Snow Answers Cox Newspapers’ Questions
In his first comments since accepting the post as White House press secretary, Tony Snow today fielded a few questions from Cox Newspapers. Here’s what he said:
Q. What were the last things you had to get tied up before you agreed to take the job?
A. Figuring out if I had cancer. You can’t say, “A little thing. I still have cancer.” I do CAT scans every three months. I had a routine scheduled one last Thursday and the results didn’t come back in until late yesterday afternoon. So that was the deal. (Snow is recovering from colon cancer)
Q. What kind of things did you have to talk to (administration officials) about concerning the job?
A. Basically you talk about what you’re going to do and the most important thing is to make sure that we’re going to have a good working relationship with you guys.
Q. Did they talk about the job description being any different than it has been with Scott (McClellan) or did you want it to be any different?
A. Well, I didn’t play a comparison game. Rather than get too much into the nuts and bolts just watch and see. I hate to be coy about it but I’m going to be coy. At least I won’t pretend. In any event we will be seeing you a lot and I will be talking to I hope a lot of you guys. We will do some sessions to figure out what you think we can do better.
Q. Your criticism of him in the past, are you free to keep telling him that kind of stuff now that you are on the payroll?
A. Probably not in those exact words.
Q. But the same message? They want to hear it?
A. Yeah. They want people to express their opinions. You’re not coming here to drink the Kool-Aid. You’re coming here to serve the president. And at this particular juncture I think what you want is as much honest counsel as you can get. So when I agree I’m going to agree but when I disagree I disagree. But on any opinion his vote is the tie-breaker.
Q. On Iraq, you’re still fully on board with what’s going on over there?
A. The president is the guy who runs the place. I’ll speak for him and some other point I’ll speak for myself. How’s that?
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