Even though everyone knew he had been battling cancer for quite some time, this is still very sad news.

Tony Snow, the newsman who became White House press secretary and then returned to the world of journalism, died early this morning. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer years ago and had beaten it the first time, but then it came back and he had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments at the time of his death.

Snow joined FOX News Channel in 1996 and hosted FOX News Sunday and was a political analyst for the network. He also hosted his own radio show and used to fill in for Rush Limbaugh on the radio (and later Bill O'Reilly). Snow replaced Scott McClellan as press secretary at the White House in 2006 and left the position in September 2007, saying he wasn't leaving because of his health but because of financial concerns. He became a political analyst for CNN earlier this year.

Snow had a wife and three kids.

Former White House press secretary and FOX News commentator Tony Snow is joining CNN. He'll be a conservative commentator for the news network. He was actually on the network before, as a fill-in host on Crossfire. But then he went to FOX News, where he hosted FOX News Sunday from 1996 to 2003. He was also a speech writer for the first President Bush.

Anchors and pundits change networks all of the time, but one of the reasons that this is a little surprising is that Snow is currently a substitute host on Bill O'Reilly's Radio Factor radio show on the FOX Radio Network. I would have to assume that he will no longer have that role (O'Reilly once warned him about going to CNN).

Snow was treated for cancer twice, once for colon cancer in 2005 and then again last year, when he had surgery to remove a growth. He left his position as White House press secretary in 2007 not because of the cancer but because he wasn't making enough money. He is also reportedly working on a book.

... a great TV moment

I remember. It was the evening of April 29th, and I had opted out of attending a major social event to watch, of all things, C-SPAN. Honestly, it felt a little pathetic. Well, not "a little". It felt really pathetic. Little did I know that I, sitting in front of the television with my laptop resting on my tacky pajama bottoms, would soon be witnessing something remarkable.

Tonight, Countdown with Keith Olbermann had hilarious video of new White House Press Secretary Tony Snow playing in his band, Beats Workin'. What kind of band? Well, the website says they play '60s, '70s, and '80s rock music. Their song list includes Eric Clapton, Beatles, Grateful Dead, Eagles, Chuck Berry and so on.

What was so funny about the video was that Tony Snow was playing lead flute... just like Ron Burgundy on Anchorman (Keith and I said it out loud at virtually the same time). Unfortunately, the video is not up on YouTube. Not yet, anyway.

Adding fuel to the fire about FOX Newschannel's political affiliations, FOX personality Tony Snow has reportedly accepted the Press Secretary position at the White House. The rumblings of this possibility started last week. His appointment to replace Scott McClellan is supposed to be made official Wednesday morning. I fully expect the rest of the press to essentially freak out and suggest that Snow's appointment will mean more exclusives and tips for FOX News. A valid concern, really.

Snow is less of a news anchor and more of a talking head and political analyst. He was a speech writer for the first President Bush in 1991, and a nationally syndicated columnist for The Detroit News and USA Today. It's also worth noting that Snow is currently battling colon cancer.

Putting this guy in the hot seat should be interesting, to say the least. He's used to pontificating in front of cameras and probably doesn't mind getting in the faces of reporters. He's bound to be more animated than McClellan, the White House robot whose only directive is to 'stay on message'.