Snow ends White House stint

Tony Snow, a Cincinnati native, has left the White House grounds.

Snow put in his last official day as White House press secretary today, making the rounds on early TV shows to promote President Bush's remarks the previous night on the Iraq war.

He didn't, however, face media questions from the White House lectern.

Snow gave his 136th – and last – televised White House media briefing on Wednesday.

"This job has been the most fun I have ever had, the most satisfying, fulfilling job. I'm sorry I have to leave it, but I have got to say it has been a real honor and a pleasure working with everybody in this room. And I'll miss it," Snow said at the outset.

"You know, everybody talks about what a horrible job it is to brief the press. I love these briefings and I'm really going to miss them," he added.

Snow, a former TV commentator who was known for sparring with reporters, continued to do so until the end, inviting reporters who complained that they hadn't gotten a chance to ask a question at his last briefing to "be as rude as you want."

Finally, though, it was time for Snow to end the show.

"Let's not extend this so it becomes forced," he said.

Snow, 52, announced last month that he would depart the White House after 16 months so he could earn more money for his family. He is fighting a recurrence of colon cancer, but he said he's not leaving because of his health.

On Friday, the White House media team gathered in the briefing room to say goodbye.

"It's been a short tenure here, but I've had the most fun of my life," Snow told them.

Afterward, as he walked to his car, more than a hundred White House staff members, including chief of staff Josh Bolten, cheered him off. Snow smiled, waved, got into this blue car, and drove off.