• 2006.10.09: October 9, 2006: Headlines: COS - Kenya: Rumors: Journalism: White House: Post Chronicle: Latest Update: White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said he served in Kenya in an organization like the Peace Corps  Monday, October 09, 2006 - 11:22 am [1]

Columnist Salena Zito reports that White House Press Secretary Tony Snow served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya



"He came to conservative commentary on a roundabout path, teaching in Kenya as a Peace Corps volunteer, then working as a substitute school teacher in Cincinnati and as a developmental-disabilities advocate in North Carolina. "

PCOL Comment: We believe that this press report is incorrect. We have found numerous sources that say that Tony Snow taught children in Kenya for a brief period but none of these sources mentions the Peace Corps. We will report it as an "unconfirmed rumor" and see if we can find out if there is anything to it.

Columnist Salena Zito reports that White House Press Secretary Tony Snow served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya

The Public Face Of The White House
By Salena Zito

Oct 9, 2006

WASHINGTON - Since Tony Snow became White House press secretary in April, President Bush's approval ratings have crept up.

That might be no coincidence. Bush couldn't find a more likeable daily stand-in for a combative press corps or a curious public.

Snow, 51, is disarmingly charming. He's soft-voiced yet assertive, self-deprecating yet serious, intelligent but not condescending. The perfect pitchman for a president facing an unpopular war and his toughest midterm election.

In a two-hour White House interview with Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Editor Frank Craig, Managing Editor Robert Fryer and Reporter Salena Zito, Snow outlined the Bush administration's plans for its final two years, including a renewed push on Social Security. He discussed in detail the war on terror and its impact on America's image, Bush's operating style, the November election, and a variety of other issues.

Born in Kentucky and reared in Cincinnati, Snow is best known as a conservative newspaper columnist and a Fox News talk-radio host and TV anchor. In a craft known for shouting and name-calling, Snow spoke without such stridency.

He came to conservative commentary on a roundabout path, teaching in Kenya as a Peace Corps volunteer, then working as a substitute school teacher in Cincinnati and as a developmental-disabilities advocate in North Carolina.

Nor was he a lock-step Bush backer before stepping behind the White House podium. After Hurricane Katrina, he wrote in a column: "Begin with the wimp factor. No president has looked this impotent this long when it comes to defending presidential powers and prerogatives."

Even so, one White House insider described Snow in the spring as the "big name" needed "to turn heads" among the typically contentious White House press corps.

Now, as the president's public face, he speaks in near-reverential terms about Bush.

A recent article in the Washington Times (for which Snow once worked) asked if he is responsible for Bush's approval rating rising from a low of 29 percent last winter to more than 42 percent in recent weeks. Snow demurs, saying simply that "We are telling our story" to explain the turn-around.

In daily press conferences, Snow comes across as almost incapable of getting angry. Yet he can, as when he accused NBC's David Gregory of rudeness and of summarizing "the Democratic point of view" in a question at a Sept. 5 press gaggle.

Snow insists he does not "try to 'spin' people ... sell them a line" because it "can be counter-productive. ... You don't ignore bad news. What you do is deal with it head-on."

"Tony has a tough job," says CBS News' Mark Knoller, who has covered the Bush and Clinton White Houses, "but because he is affable and amicable, he pulls it off. Tony is very glib, very smart -- so, yes, he has a very difficult job that he handles skillfully."

Steve Scully, a C-Span correspondent and White House correspondents' association president, says Snow has created "a more open and accessible relationship" and is "a guy who 'gets it.' He 'gets' us. ... Don't get me wrong, there are times when he steps up to the podium and says nothing ... (but) you get honesty from Tony."

Comparing Snow to widely admired predecessors Mike McCurry (Clinton) and Marlin Fitzwater (Reagan), he says that when Snow "walks off the podium after talking to us, he does not scramble off -- he lingers, he talks to us. And he returns phone calls, all phone calls."

For a man who a year ago battled colon cancer (the disease killed his mother in 1973, when he was 17), it's a demanding job.

A typical Snow workday starts at 6:30 a.m. (the alarm goes off three hours earlier). First up is a meeting with the National Security adviser, followed by staff meetings, an off-camera press briefing at 9:30 a.m., an on-camera briefing at 12:30 p.m. and ends when it ends.

His interview with Craig, Fryer and Zito began well past 5 p.m, on a long day that included a state visit by Pakistan's president, and lasted past 7 p.m.

His West Wing office, a few steps around a corner from the Oval Office, looks as if he's just moving in or out; few personal objects fill the space. But photographs of his son and two daughters sit prominently on a shelf.

Asked what keeps him up at night, he points to those photos: "They do."

Salena Zito is a TRIBUNE-REVIEW editorial writer, and an independent columnist

When this story was posted in October 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

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He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

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September 12, 2006: This Month's Top Stories John Coyne writes: The Lion in the Garden 12 Sep John McCain says: We passed up an opportunity after 911 12 Sep Jody Olsen speaks at Headquarters about 911 11 Sep Bill Moyers Returns to Investigative Reporting 8 Sep Boating Accident kills two PCVs in Mali 7 Sep Director Vasquez bids Farewell to Washington 7 Sep James Rupert writes: Pact reached with pro-Taliban forces 6 Sep Carol Bellamy to speak at Global Risk Conference 5 Sep New trial ordered for Jerry Mark in murder case 2 Sep Ken Hill to step down as NPCA Chairman 1 Sep Clintons, Gearans dine at resort 1 Sep 'Chris Matthews' Turns 5 31 Aug Taylor Hackford thinks Chuck Berry is a pain in the ass 31 Aug John Kefalas alleges dirty tactics in house race 30 Aug DRI receives Charity Navigator's highest ratings 29 Aug Kris Holloway writes "Monique and the Mango Rains'' 28 Aug Richard Celeste writes: Watch Out For Voting Day Bugs 28 Aug Donna Shalala boosted UM's image 27 Aug Leonard Robinson devoted his life to the underserved 24 Aug Phil Hardberger will run for re-election in 2007 24 Aug Snakes on the Plain - the black mamba 23 Aug Eunice Kennedy Shriver still going strong 20 Aug

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Meet Ron Tschetter - Our Next Director Read our story about Ron Tschetter's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was carried on C-Span. It was very different from the Vasquez hearings in 2001, very cut and dried with low attendance by the public. Among the highlights, Tschetter intends to make recruitment of baby boomers a priority, there are 20 countries under consideration for future programs, Senator Dodd intends to re-introduce his third goal Peace Corps legislation this session, Tschetter is a great admirer of Senator Coleman's quest for accountability, Dodd thinks management at PC may not put volunteers first, Dodd wants Tschetter to look into problems in medical selection, and Tschetter is not a blogger and knows little about the internet or guidelines for volunteer blogs. Read our recap of the hearings as well as Senator Coleman's statement and Tschetter's statement.

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Chris Shays Shifts to Favor an Iraq Timetable In a policy shift, RPCV Congressman Chris Shays, long a staunch advocate of the Bush administration's position in Iraq, is now proposing a timetable for a withdrawal of American troops. How Mr. Shays came to this change of heart is, he says, a matter of a newfound substantive belief that Iraqis need to be prodded into taking greater control of their own destiny under the country’s newly formed government. As Chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on national security, he plans to draft a timetable for a phased withdrawal and then push for its adoption. A conscientious objector during the Vietnam War who said that if drafted he would not serve, Chris Shays has made 14 trips to Iraq and was the first Congressman to enter the country after the war - against the wishes of the Department of Defense.

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Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

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The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

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Support the US-Peruvian Trade Pact Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, the Peace Corps President, has been lobbying both Democratic and Republican legislators to support the US-Peruvian trade pact before July 28, when his term ends and a US congressional recess begins. If President Bush fails to get approval before Congress goes on recess, it will be a case study proving that the United States does not reward its friends. Please call your representatives.

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PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

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History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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