Ever since a relapse of colon cancer claimed the life of former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow earlier today, accolades and tributes have been pouring in from all over the world (except for the usual suspects at cesspools such as the Daily Kos, the L.A. Times, and even the Associated Press).
"Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend, Tony Snow," President Bush said in a statement. "The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character."
Whether as a political commentator, presidential spokesman, or a patient valiantly battling cancer (and raising money for cancer research) to the very end, Snow commanded respect for his hard work, undying optimism, enthusiasm, and sense of humor.
Right Wing News ran one of many eulogies.
So did Rick Moran at Pajamas Media.
To give one an idea of the man we're going to miss, here's an excerpt from a commencement address he delivered at the Catholic University of America on 12 May 2007:
Last summer we were in Crawford, Texas, with the president. And you know the president has this love of riding a bicycle off-road. It’s a treacherous and crazy thing, plunging down the hills, over seeming cliffs, ravines, up rocks. He loves it. Well, I said, “I might like to try that sometime.” I was just, you know, trying to make nice. I was trying to kiss up to the boss.
So the first time out at the ranch, he said, “Snow, you ready to ride?”
I looked around and said, “Well, I don’t have any shorts, sir.”
And so he said, “Hey, Jerry, do you got shorts?”
“Yes sir.” Hands out a pair of shorts.
“Well, all I have are these running shoes,” I protested.
“They’ll do.”
He hands off a t-shirt so off we go. Now, again, it’s an adventure because the president, being aerobic in everything he does, plunges into this with absolute incredible vigor, and I thought I was doing all right at the beginning. I’m chuffing along at the back of the pack, respectfully (and also because I was the worst rider). But there was always that lingering fear. At one point he says, “Okay, you’re going to need your brakes here. It’s straight down, it’s boulders. Oh, and the other side, it’s a cliff. Watch out.”
We finally get to this place where the road parts. You go off-road and there’s a drop of about 15 or 20 feet, it rises up again and then goes around the curve. The president goes down and goes “Woo hoo!” Person behind him goes down and goes “Woo hoo!” I’m in the back and I go “Waaaah.” But there I am.
Okay, where am I? The limits of the abilities. Which side of the line am I on? Well, I go down. It’s great! I’m going full-speed. And then all of a sudden coming up a tree appears right in the middle of the path. Ooof. Everybody hears it.
“Snow, you okay back there?”
“Yes sir. Just hit a tree.”
“Okay, well come on then.”
I made the rest of the trip with a wobbly front tire which had been bent up in the encounter.
The point’s simple. When a chance presents itself, take a prudent and interesting risk. If it doesn’t work out, that is okay. Don’t worry about that, either. You see, God presents blessings in unexpected packages. Don’t overlook them. Remember: no guts, no glory.
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