Adding the “No,” back onto your original statement changes NOTHING, though I like the implication that Media Matters is biased and deliberately leaves out important information.

You attacked Oliver for something he never said or implied, which I complained people were doing just a few posts ago (just as you ridiculously implied that he wants the press to behave like a gaggle of imbeciles because his job depends on it).

Thirteenth grade?

Gawd.

Way to CONTINUE to prove my point(s).

You made it past thirteenth grade, right?

Oliver’s original intent was “who damn cares if that man might die?”

Way to prove my point.

No, Oliver’s original intent was “who damn cares if that man might die? Why did any of his colleagues waste time commenting on it?”

I think the point Oliver was originally trying to make was that one living person’s sufferings are overshadowing a massive and steadily rising death toll, which is an even greater tragedy.

Partisan nitpick my ass. You can’t refute my case as to why the Edward’s cancer was more newsworthy (that would be more deserving of being treated as news, not as more deserving of sympathy) yet like any slavering winger, you can’t resist spouting your usual “partisan” crap.

“At some point it would come out…” Oh, brother. Histrionic, much? Miss the suggestion to issue a separate statement, hold another conference if necessary, whatever? Why not even just say “Let’s take care of business first and I’ll be happy to take your questions about my cancer after that.” When did this become a cover-up?

As I said, this is a non-issue really. I don’t care that they talked about his cancer. I simply find it ridiculous that people are rushing to defend the idea that Tony Snow’s cancer is news to any greater degree than any average citizen’s cancer. So far no one has made any case beyond “he’s buddies with the press,” which I fully acknowledged and have no trouble accepting.

LM, the issue here is not empathy (or sympathy). That’s where things are getting grossly distorted. Many are taking this discussion to be a direct attack on Tony Snow or some sort of attempt to diminish his disease or even his humanity. Not even close. The issue is why is his burden more worthy of attention than others, particularly during a press conference where the business of the day is to discuss White House policy. For myself, the issue is mostly the ridiculous nature of this thread. With “partisan” nonsense getting tossed around with attacks on OW’s integrity and objectivity along with a healthy dose of exaggeration as to the impact Mr. Snow’s illness will have on the operation of our government.

So let’s go back to what a number of people have already said and which sums it up completely:

The White House Press Secretary is unfortunately suffering with a serious, very likely fatal, disease and he gets press time because his job puts him into direct contact with the beltway press corps and not because his ability to do the “work of the people” could be compromised.

End of story.

Empathy shouldn’t have a singular political party, guys.

Really? Thanks for pointing out the obvious.

Half a million people die from cancer in the U.S. every year. Out of all of them, someone needs to make the case why Tony Snow deserves press for his affliction. It’s not surprising that he gets it. It’s surprising that people seem to think it’s legitimate.

It is legitimate because the White House Press Secretary is an important position.

For the vast majority, it is a private affair, not basis for a quizzing from the press.

Because the vast majority are not public figures.

Comparisons to Elizabeth Edwards cancer announcement are utterly worthless. Not only is she the wife of an actual politician with presidential aspirations, but their announcement was made separate and apart from John Edwards other campaign functions.

First of all, John Edwards is technically unemployed right now. He doesn’t hold an office or any other government position, so using your logic, his wife’s condition shouldn’t have generated a second of news coverage.

In addition, they specifically scheduled a news conference to make the announcement and then had another news conference to announce the campaign would go on.

Mr. Snow could have announced his cancer at a separate conference or simply kept the matter private. There really was no reason for him to announce it during an official White House press conference at all.

Bullshit. His cancer is obviously going to affect his official duties at the White House, so there was no reason to keep the matter private. At some point the news would have come out, so perhaps it was best to get it out of the way quickly.

The very fact that you’re defending Edwards and blubbering about Snow just shows that this is nothing more than another partisan nitpick for you (and Oliver). Get the hell over it already.

Besides, we still need to know who fathered Anna Nicole Smith’s baby.

I’m simply steamed that he should be elevated above so many others for dubious or flat out ridiculous reasons.

Iran has taken “hostages?” Really? Why are they “hostages” when Iran takes them, but prisoners when we do? Never mind, I know the answer to that one. It’s why Contras are “freedom fighters” but Sunni insurgents are “terrorists” or why Osama was a heroic resistance fighter against the Russians but a terrorist when he turned on us.

As for the capture of the car bomb ringleaders, that was reported on ABC and in USA Today, among others. I know its fun to pretend the news is liberally biased and never reports the “good” news out of Iraq, buts try to dig up an actual case.

Oliver wants chaos in Iraq, really? He likes it? That explains why he favored the invasion that created it, right? Way to pass the buck.

Without our daft press Oliver would be out of a job, so he can’t criticize a situation where the press seems insulated and its priorities broken? Am I the only one that thinks that is a ridiculous argument? Would the same people argue that cops like and encourage criminals because without them they wouldn’t have a job? Do Republicans want terrorism because its the most potent weapon they have in their push to gut any semblance of democracy in this country? Wait, bad example…

Take a moment and Goggle for photos of what life is like in Iraq. Look for the photos of the dead, particularly the children. That we can so casually dismiss these as “more of the same” is vile beyond comprehension. That we can go on to elevate a glorified propaganda hack as newsworthy over the lives of not tens, not thousands, but millions of Iraqis (and Afghanis and others thrown under the U.S. foreign policy bus) vividly illustrates how broken this nation has become.

Tony Snow gets press attention because the press know him and the public actually recognizes his name. That’s it. He is a “celebrity” (though, ridiculously enough, less of one then Anna Nicole Smith) and not some potent government functionary. Half a million people die from cancer in the U.S. every year. Out of all of them, someone needs to make the case why Tony Snow deserves press for his affliction. It’s not surprising that he gets it. It’s surprising that people seem to think it’s legitimate.

Mr. Snow has my sympathy to the same degree that I have sympathy for any cancer victim. My mother died from lung cancer over ten years ago. I watched her suffer chemotherapy and radiation treatments only to see the disease spread to her brain and rob her of her mind. At one point she even accused me and my brothers of betraying her somehow and deliberately making her suffer. Cancer isn’t simply an abstract villain for my family, or countless others. For the vast majority, it is a private affair, not basis for a quizzing from the press.

Comparisons to Elizabeth Edwards cancer announcement are utterly worthless. Not only is she the wife of an actual politician with presidential aspirations, but their announcement was made separate and apart from John Edwards other campaign functions.

Mr. Snow could have announced his cancer at a separate conference or simply kept the matter private. There really was no reason for him to announce it during an official White House press conference at all.

Please stop! You are proving the case for genetic inferiority!

Just One Mans Opinion!
JOM

You got called on an ignorant and foolish post.

End of story.

Oliver likes chaos in Iraq. Oliver wants chaos in Iraq. It’s good for driving opinions Oliver wants you to have.

I’ll walk this back if Oliver has linked up or posted anything re: American heroism in Iraq. Something specific like an encomium to a Cong. MOH winner. No “I support the troops” Sean Penn crap.

BTW: “The US military has captured the leaders of a car-bombing ring blamed for killing hundreds of Iraqis.”(Sydney Morning Herald, 3/27/07). We gotta go to a paper from bloody Oz for this?