Is 168 G's a yr. a fair enough wage to be the White House spokesperson?

[Philosoraptor]

Somewhere there's a classified ad that says, "Help Wanted--Official White House Spokesperson. Job Requirements: Must be able to lie somewhat effectively and make everything sound exactly the opposite of what it really is. Must have baronial, condescending attitude with fluency in smugness and an arrogant demeanor".

Entry Pay: $168,000.00 Annually, plus free glass of water with every press conference. All applicants must be white, republican, heterosexual, (or closeted), and have no scruples or qualms about integrity or shame. Degrees in obfuscation, mendacity, propaganda, and common bullshitting preferred.

But seriously, there are some who'd jump at the chance to make 168 large if all you gotta do is stand there and lie to Helen Thomas and fake it with Jeff Gannon, I'd do it myself, and I'm a Democrat! And then there are those who are cursed with the terrible affliction of integrity, and yes, even common decency, and wouldn't do it for million bucks a pop.

Is $168,000 a year enough to risk possibly putting your own self in legal peril if the shit ever hit the fan?

[AlinPA]

1. It should not be a taxpayer paid job.

[Fridays Child]

2. How's the health plan?

[Ravy]

3. To sell your soul? Not even close. (nt)

[Quantess]

14. Exactly.

The amount of lies that guy is/was expected to spew...he should have received double that salary. Those are huge lies for just a moderately big salary.

[walldude]

4. Snow said he was quitting due to money problems

How in the hell do you have financial problems when you make 168 g's a year? Really. If you aren't responsible enough to live a life without debt on 168 grand a year you shouldn't be "explaining" anything to anyone.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

8. It's fucking insulting

More proof at how out of touch these clowns are that they don't realize how many people would feel like they were on easy street if they made half of what he does in one year.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. It's expensive to live in DC, and anyone in that job could make more in the private sector

Sure, he's not anywhere near what most people would consider real financial problems, but he can't live a Republican Lifestyle on that salary.

[leftchick]

5. look what the "Director for Lessons Learned" earns (no joke)

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/11/four-most-overpaid-wh-staffers/


The Four Most Overpaid White House Staffers

Today the National Journal published a list of salaries for the 403 White House staffers. Here are the four most overpaid:

Deborah Nirmala Misir Ethics Advisor $114,688
Erica M. Dornburg Ethics Advisor $100,547
Stuart Baker Director for Lessons Learned $106,641
Melissa M. Carson Director of Fact Checking $46,500

And yes, there is a White House Director for Lessons Learned. We aren’t making this up.


now miss Carson's salary seems appropriate. I mean she has probably not checked one fact in 7 years!

[KansDem]

7. $215,235 for "ethics advice?"

Man, talk about money flushed down the toilet...

[LWolf]

6. It's plently.

It's 4 X what I get to educate the next generation. Perhaps there should be no press secretary; why does a president need a mouthpiece? Why not do your own talking to the press?

[Philosoraptor]

16. I agree, spokesman is a pointless position.

[IntravenousDemilo]

9. $168K is about the cost per year of the carbolic soap you'd need to scrub yourself down every night.

It's very dirty work. Mind you, the soap would be a tax-deductible business expense.

[Bitwit1234]

10. Just think of all the people

who are living on $5.15 an hour. They don't have health insurance for themselves and their family. They don't get holidays off. They don't get vacations. You know folks the kind like the president gets one whole Their travel pertaining to their job is not paid for by the government. And he is complaining about his benefits and pay.

[AZBlue]

11. It's not a job I'd want.

There's not enough money in the world for me to represent Bush.

But, let's say the President is my ideal version of a Dem leader. I still wouldn't want the job and I'm not even sure that's enough $$. First of all, as you pointed out, your ass is on the line for everything you say. The stress level is astronomical. You're on-call 24/7/52. You take the heat for the President's unpopular actions and decisions - you're now the target. And, you may be forced to lie or go against your morals in other ways.

No thanks.

[Philosoraptor]

12. See, you got that ol' integrity gettin' in the way of a good time.

[Philosoraptor]

13. .............

[Hippo_Tron]

17. Press Secretary is a terrible job

Because until Bush came in, the position was generally filled by people who had a conscience and didn't enjoy "spinning" but recognized that it was part of the job. Press Secretaries are often kept in the dark by their superiors so that they don't have to lie.

As far as the salary goes, once you leave the job you can make millions writing books and giving lectures, so it's not really an issue.

[Philosoraptor]

18. If "I" were president, there'd BE no press sec.

I'd tend to speak directly for myself, answering my own questions, instead of an overpaid guy saying, 'the president thinks this, the president thinks that'.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. I think somewhere along the way we decided that the President's time is too valuable for that

Or an alternative and more likely explanation is that we decided that it would take too much of the President's time to prep him to control his own message so it's better to have someone do it for him. If the President just went out and answered the questions for 30 minutes a day it wouldn't be that much of an issue.

IMO, I think that you might be on to something. A President who gave their own daily press conferences would probably get a ton of popular support from the public for doing so. Also, the media might tend to write more favorable stories because they like having direct access to the President and not going through the Press Secretary.

[Philosoraptor]

21. Its just another way of insulating the pres. from the press.

[Jim Warren]

20. garter belts $

[Philosoraptor]

22. ............

[Jack Rabbit]

23. Not in this White House

That's because a Bush White House spokesperson must sell his soul. No salary can make up for that.