Snow storm.(press and politics)

The hand that rules the press ... rules the country--Judge Learned Hand

When new White House press secretary Tony Snow whirled through the revolving door that separates the mass media from Washington officialdom, there was shock in some press quarters. What in the world is he doing there?

"I mean, it's weird," opined CNN anchor Ali Velshi of Snow's transition from competitor at FOX News to spokesman for the White House. "It's not normal, as much as it might seem normal. This is an unusual move?'

Actually, making the leap between newsroom and White House press office (or back) is anything but new. Pierre Salinger was a journalist before becoming press secretary for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and he subsequently became ABC's chief foreign correspondent. Bill Moyers also served as LBJ's chief flack before launching a career as a CBS, NBC, and PBS newsie and commentator. Ron Nessen, who was an NBC News correspondent, spent two years as President Ford's top spokesman. And three Clinton mouthpieces--George Stephanopoulos, Dee Dee Myers, and Joe Lockhart--have all held jobs before or since in the establishment press.

What made the sight of Snow at the podium so "unusual" is that he is, well, a conservative one at the top-rated cable news network. He's also been a host and anchor, not just a commentator.

Unlike the liberal revolving door, which spins effortlessly from the halls of power to the mansions of the establishment press, the media side of the conservative door typically opens only to the right-wing ghetto. Conservatives who travel between the second and fourth estates usually become Professional Anti-Liberals: either rightwing commentators on establishment networks (like Pat Buchanan or Mary Matalin) or mainstays at conservative niche publications (Bill Kristol or Peggy Noonan). If they are lucky enough to get positions at news outlets at all, their job is dispensing opinion, not making or shaping the news.

The rules are very different for liberals. The big TV networks, the richest newspapers, and the glossiest magazines are all happy to trade players with liberal administrations. Tim Russert, who launched himself working for Mario Cuomo and Pat Moynihan, is now ...