Newsweek suggested Snow may break from White House message -- even after Snow acknowledged he would not

I'm not sure how I see this as "misinformation." Snow goes on record as saying that he won't break from the administration message. Newsweek speculates that, given Snow's background, he may be prone to expressing his own opinion. I.e., Snow's intent may be to stay on message, but is his ego too big to be able to always do that?

I my own theory which is that the administration policy isn't changing, but that it's attempting to shore up the message and support among its ultra-conservative base. Thus Snow fits right in and may naturally be on message with the administration. Being the fresh face, Snow may also have an easier time, initially anyway, of deflecting questions and spinning, thus avoiding stepping away from message.

But it's still a fair question to ask how long even Snow will be able to spin one administration lie after another before the relationship with the press corps goes the direction of McClellan's. At that point, could Snow become a liability along the lines Newsweek opines despite Snow's promise? I suppose it's plausible, even if you think it unlikely. It's speculation, but misinformation?

This is an odd story indeed.

These NEWSWEEK writers, for a reason we can only guess, are PREDICTING that Tony Snow will BREAK with official White House policy, and instead present HIS OWN ideas about issues from the podium in the White House press room.

What, exactly, would this accomplish, even if true? It's hard to imagine.

Will Snow answer, in response to a question about the border, "The White House is not promoting the building of a wall on our border with Mexico, but this is an obvious mistake. Our number one priority is to protect our borders, yet this President seems blind to the reality in front of him."

He will openly OPPOSE the Administration's policy? NEWSWEEK predicts this will happen? It might happen, ONCE (and then he would be GONE), but it could only happen with a different flack/pundit, not with Snow.

So since it won't happen, why would NEWSWEEK "report" that we will now have a press secretary who "acts independently"? Do they wish to convey the impression that he will be bold and independent, when he will demonstrably NOT be? For what purpose? To give credibility to the position that was squandered to zero by McClellan, perhaps? To present Snow as the ANTI-Scotty guy with a mind of his own?

The first time Snow swallows his own view, will NEWSWEEK's fine reporters admit their error?

Here are a variety of views Snow has expressed, which suggest he much sublimate and swallow his own opinions from the first SECOND of doing this job, since he believes his boss to be very deeply flawed.

Tony Snow has said or written about George W. Bush, "Little in the character of demeanor of George Bush makes us say to ourselves: Now, this man is truly special!"

“Bush, for all his personal appeal, (doesn't) have the drive and work ethic to succeed.” Bush, according to Snow, "talks of a pillowy America, full of niceness and goodwill," and that Bush "is more eager to please than lead."

“George Bush has become something of an embarrassment.” Snow says. Bush “has a habit of singing from the Political Correctness hymnal.”

“No president has looked this impotent this long..."

On the Economy, Snow has said of George W. Bush, he has “lost control of the federal budget" and is an "exponent of (government's) vigorous expansion.” Snow say, "When it comes to federal spending, George W. Bush is the boy who can’t say no ... the president doesn’t seem to mean what he says," and "Bush doesn’t seem to give a rip about spending restraint."

The "essence of Bush's presidency" is "listless domestic policy", alternatively Bush has become "a classical dime-store Democrat. He gladly will shovel money into programs that enjoy undeserved prestige, such as Head Start."

On Bush's oratory, Snow says, "Bush has inherited his father’s syntax. At one point last week, he stunned a friendly audience by barking out absurd and inappropriate words, like a soul tortured with Tourette’s" and "he recently tried to dazzle reporters by discussing the vagaries of Congressional Budget Office economic forecasts, but his recitation of numbers proved so bewildering that not even his aides could produce a comprehensible translation." Snow sums up, "The English Language has become a minefield for Bush, his malaprops make him the political heir of Norm Crosby.”

[link to www.thinkprogress.org]

How can Snow cite a single White House position without revealing the contempt with which he views the (lack of) character and ability of this President? He cannot hold both views, so he must recant and disavow his previous opinions -- either directly or by omission/change of behavior -- and become what the job CALLS for; Bush's Cheerleader NO MATTER WHAT.

What does it say of Snow's character if we do not see the above opinions repeated in the Press Room? And we WILL NOT see them repeated ...

Limbaugh was starting to criticize George H.W. Bush the Elder increasingly (primarily on tax policy, fearing Bush would cave -- and he DID), but H.W. took action.

George H.W. Bush invited Limbaugh to the White House to chat and to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom.

This gave Limbaugh something to talk about for months, his starry-eyed reverence for the station of H.W. was downright erotic, and one MAJOR other development: Limbaugh never again spoke ill of Bush the Elder.

It was a conversion, an epiphony, a "coming to Jesus" moment for Rush. He was effectively defused, declawed, and neutered by Bush the Elder, and America thence forth saw a DIFFERENT, kinder and gentler-to-Bush radio broadcaster.

By no means am I a "Tyro" in the ways of the "political life". However, when did it become and why a national issue whom is the Press Secretary. By definition he is an administration spokesman. If he's brilliant or inept the bottom line is that it doesn't matter. The position is one of the "messenger" NOT "formulator" of policy.