In Memoriam: Tony Snow

No amount of words can define or uniquely capture the Renaissance man who was Tony Snow. An adoring father, a loving husband, a patriot who served his country in the military and in public service, a journalist, a radio show host, a pundit, and press secretary to the President of the United States.

Tony Snow reverberated with an upbeat optimism that constantly permeated everyone and everything around him. He was a conservative who disagreed with liberals without ever being disagreeable and did more than most of his contemporaries in attracting new followers to the movement.

I've had the opportunity to hear and see Tony Snow on many occasions. I'll never forget the last time I saw him at the CPAC conference this past February in Washington, D.C. Snow was selected to give the closing speech of the conference, and at a time when Republicans were more disillusioned than ever with the president, the Iraq war, oil prices, Democratic excitement at expanding their majorities in the house and senate, the presidential campaign...Tony gave a speech that was uplifting, encouraging and much more than the usual pep talk. His optimism and urgency regarding the 2008 elections encouraged many to pledge on the spot to do their parts in helping to elect Republicans in their local areas and talk with friends and neighbors to get McCain elected in 2008.

A man of principle, Tony Snow was never afraid to criticize his own party when necessary (Snow's criticicism of Bush's policies and spending binges were just one example). But Snow also saw the big picture: he recognized that we cannot just throw out the half loaf of bread because we can't have the full loaf. He could easily frame the realities for the average person and demonstrate the urgency in electing McCain or other Republicans to ensure the Democratic majority does not have unchecked, unlimited power, to ensure a checks-and-balances remain in place. Snow recognized that overarching issues such as the war on terror and national security are more important than individual idelogical disgreements on campaign finance reform or global warming or even immigration, and that the the selection of U.S. Supreme Court justices over the next 8 years would affect the ideological direction of the country long-term much more than one candidate's position on one issue.

The country mourns over the loss of a national figure in journalism who brought out the best in all of us. In just a month since the death of another iconic and responsible journalist, Tim Russert, we would do well to remember the messages of these men and how they lived their short lives, for they truly served as shining beacons of the impact and legacy that can be accomplished even when life is unfairly cut short.

We pray for Tony's family, and especially his children, that God will help them to always remember and understand how truly remarkable their father really was.

Tony Snow, always willing and able to utilize humor, told us in February:

"You know why Hillary and Obama are talking about change all the time? Well, that's because that's all that will be left in your pockets when they're through."