Tony Snow ‘Defensive’ On Iraq Anniversary, Tells CNN’s Ed Henry To ‘Zip It’

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/19/snow-henry-zip-it/


Tony Snow ‘Defensive’ On Iraq Anniversary, Tells CNN’s Ed Henry To ‘Zip It’

President Bush will address the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion in a speech today at the White House.

During this morning’s press gaggle, Tony Snow told reporters that Bush will use the speech to attack the House plan for Iraq as a “recipe for defeat” that would “provide a victory for the enemy.”

CNN’s Ed Henry told Snow that since he was attacking the House plan, he should explain the Bush administration’s “recipe for success.” According to Henry, Snow “tried to turn it around on me,” asking Henry what his recipe for success was. When Henry objected to Snow’s question, Snow told him to “zip it.” Watch it at link:

Henry reported, “Snow later apologized. He said he felt that was inappropriate for him to say that to me. But I point it out because I think it shows the White House a little bit on the defensive this morning about this anniversary.”

Transcript:

CNN: But right now let’s go live to White House correspondent Ed Henry. Ed, for much of the morning, there didn’t seem to be anything planned for the President to speak about this anniversary and then something changed.

HENRY: That’s right, Tony. The President’s schedule basically blank heading into this morning, in terms of — basically not marking this fourth anniversary of the invasion of Baghdad. That changed mid-morning when we found out the President was having a National Security Council meeting privately in the White House to get an update on the situation on the ground. And then this hour right now as we speak the President behind closed doors, a secure video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki, again, trying to assess the situation on the ground. Then the President will go public, 11:30 Eastern time, that’ll be live from the Roosevelt Room here at the White House. What is he expected to say?

White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters off camera a short time ago the President will be talking about the sacrifice of U.S. servicemen and women, more than 3,200 of whom who have died, but also that the President will talk about what the White House is terming a recipe for defeat, the Democratic effort on Capitol Hill to attach restrictions to some of that funding for the war in Iraq, basically calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, at least the beginning of that withdrawal. Tony Snow calling it — he said it would “provide victory for the enemy.” When I pressed Tony Snow, and since he’s calling flatly the Democratic plan a recipe for defeat, I asked him, four years later, what is the recipe for success? Tony Snow tried to turn it around on me in this off-camera briefing. He said, well what’s your recipe for success? How do you define it?

And when I pointed out to him that that was inappropriate for me to answer that — it’s not up for me about what the recipe for success is, what is the President’s recipe for success? — Tony felt I was interrupting him and said, “Zip it.” He later apologized. He said he felt that was inappropriate for him to say that to me. But I point it out because I think it shows the White House a little bit on the defensive this morning about this anniversary. When he finally got around to his answer, Tony Snow was saying, well, we hope obviously four years later to start turning this situation over to Iraqi forces on the ground, but he admitted, “You don’t know how things will play out.”

Well, we’ve heard that for four years now. Every time that there’s been progress, there have also been setbacks and there has also been talk about turning this over to the Iraqi army and it still has not quite happened. So, obviously, a lot of the predictions at the beginning of this war — about the length of the war, about the cost of the war, both in human sacrifice but also financial sacrifice for the American taxpayer — underestimated by this White House at the beginning of the war, Tony.

CNN: Ed, if it weren’t such a solemn day we could do about five minutes on that whole zip it exchange, but because of the the anniversary, we will let it go at that.

[BOSSHOG]

1. bush's recipe for success is holding on til January 2009 then

moving to Paraguay. snow is a chump, just another prick conservative who has never done anything FOR his country. In six months we'll be hearing about another recipe from the master chef.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Undoubtedly...

When his time is up, Snow will retire to a sunny, restful clime, for a well-deserved nervous breakdown. Richly deserved.

I can't think of anything else he will be able to do, since he will have credibility in the negative numbers after all this.

[yy4me]

5. If Tony Snow has a shred of self-respect left, he should resign

now. He can easily get a job with any news organization, hopefully one that is unbiased(if there is one left.) He would be respected for saying that he finally saw the light and got out while he could. I cannot believe he believes the bunk he spews to the press. Does he ever wonder how he got himself involved with this administration? He is too young to ruin his life for the likes of this current crew.

Go Tony...literally!

[global1]

3. And So We Proceed Into A Fifth Year With The Press Giving * A Pass....

CNN: Ed, if it weren’t such a solemn day we could do about five minutes on that whole zip it exchange, but because of the the anniversary, we will let it go at that.

That's what they've been doing since SCOTUS gave the pResidency to * in 2000 - just letting it go at that.

A sad commentary on this sadder anniversary.

[underpants]

4. Wow GEE what a concept ask them what their answer is

Way to go there buckaroo if only you had done that oh ...about 4 YEARS AGO!!! :grr:

[gratuitous]

6. Oh goody, back to the days of Morton Downey Jr.

When are those "adults" going to be back in charge like the Bush administration promised when it seized power back in 2001?

[Supersedeas]

7. Another excuse by CNN for 'letting it go'