Politicians and talking heads types have always been celebrities to me. Hollywood had nothing on them.
I looked forward to watching shows like “Meet the Press” and “The McLaughlin Group” on Sunday mornings. I loved listening to politicians and pundits arguing about people and policy.
When I first moved to DC (nine years ago?), I was on the look-out. I spotted people like ABC’s Sam Donaldson walking down the street (for some reason he did a double-take when he saw me), George Will standing near the escalator at a downtown Metro station, and journalist Steve Roberts (husband of ABC’s Cokie) in the elevator of the building where I worked. I was on the look-out.
When I landed a job on Capitol Hill, I was in heaven. Whether I liked them or not, it was thrilling to walk down the halls past men like Orrin Hatch, the late Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms (who smiled at me), Robert Bryd (who smiled and waved when he caught me staring at him), John Ashcroft (who didn’t smile), and even Ted Kennedy. I almost ran over his son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, at a stop sign. Ah, the memories!
I don’t particularly admire those kind of people anymore, but it’s cool knowing some politician (esp. Michael Steele) or pundit has heard of me. I was amazed when I found out that Tony Snow, who had a Fox News show at the time, had heard of me.
Tony became George Bush’s press secretary in 2006, and resigned in 2007. I met Tony in April at a conservative political awards event. I’d stopped blogging about politics at the time and wanted little to do with political events, but I decided to accept the invitation. I’m glad I did. Tony was an award recipient. While he was giving his speech, I noticed how frail he looked. I knew he had cancer. “He probably won’t be around much longer,” I thought to myself.
Afterward, I wanted to meet him, but I almost changed my mind. In front of him was a long line of people. I mingled and met others, waiting for the line to thin, then I headed toward him. I introduced myself and shook his hand. We talked about – what else – politics, and I told him I’d cut down on the political blogging and writing, but that my faith was a frequent topic. Tony said he planned to write more about his faith.
This morning, Tony Snow lost his battle with colon cancer. He was 53. Tony’s illness certainly brought him closer to God. An article he wrote last year for Christianity Today begins:
“Blessings arrive in unexpected packages—in my case, cancer…I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is—a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out…But despite this—because of it—God offers the possibility of salvation and grace.”
Sounds like a man touched by grace to me.
His family will miss him and long for him. But if they’ve also been touched by grace, they know where Tony is right now. There is comfort in knowing he has seen the Lord’s face, and he is with him.
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
