We've written a few words about the possibility that George W. Bush and Josh Bolten will hire Fox's Tony Snow to serve as the new White House press secretary, but we've got to admit that we never really took the idea seriously. Deep down, it always struck us as so implausible that it had to be some kind of diversion: Let the left and the press get itself all nutted up over Snow, then take the air out of the balloon by naming Dan Senor or Dan Bartlett or Tori Clarke instead.
Maybe that's still going to happen, but it sure doesn't seem like it. Time suggested over the weekend that Snow has been offered the job, and now CNN is citing sources who say that he's likely to take it.
The network says that Bolten wants an answer from Snow this week, and that an announcement could come as early as today. Why the rush? CNN says that the White House first approached Snow about the job several weeks ago; for the president of the United States and would-be leader of the free world, it's got to be a little embarrassing to have a radio talk-show host stringing you along. And then there's the fact that, to the extent that anyone thinks Snow can help turn things around for Bush, the White House could use the help sooner rather than later. A new CNN poll puts the president's approval rating at a chilly 32 percent.
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