Pack journalism, by the pack, about the pack. Consensus: Tony had a good first day at the podium. (Our blow-by-blow yesterday.)

Best Lede Award to Dana Milbank:
"It began as the Tony Snow show. It turned out more like 'Oprah.'"

Alessandra Stanley plays the race card early, leading with:
"Tony Snow said he didn't want to 'hug the tar baby,' and then he did just that by using the expression in his first televised White House press briefing yesterday."

Variety's William Triplett: Tony 1, Media 0.
"In the often surreal world of the televised press briefing, the media don't stand a chance against a nice guy, and judging by his first performance, new White House press secretary Tony Snow may be mercilessly nice."

Knight Ridder Newspapers:
"Snow's first briefing was boffo box office: Cable TV networks covered it live, teasing it as a major news event. Reporters frustrated after two years of briefings by the likable but rarely informative McClellan packed the room to take the measure of a more nimble performer."

Houston Chronicle's Julie Mason:
"And like a TV guy, he gestured a lot. Photographers like that. He had a few flourishes, some open-palm moves, he wagged a finger a little bit. Yes, a pointer finger. Come on!"

FishbowlDC's Patrick Gavin, writing in The Washington Examiner:
"These weren't talking points; this was a talk show. Where Snow's predecessor, Scott McClellan, proved bland and robotic, Snow waxed articulate, persuasive and personal, employing the words 'I' and me 114 times."

Chicago Tribune's Allison Benedikt:
"Snow did a stand-up job varying his answers and tone enough to seem engaged."

Caroline Daniel in the FT:
"Mr. Snow bit the bullet early in his appearance and turned to the veteran reporter Helen Thomas, who is known for her persistent, aggressive style of questioning. When the exchange was over Mr. Snow gave a nervous laugh and reached for his paper coffee cup."

Best Parting Shot at Scott McClellan Award goes to Michael Scherer on Salon.com:
"[Snow] is ... a human being, and that makes him a dramatic departure from his predecessor, Scott McClellan, the doughy master of equivocation and non-sequitur who behaved most days like a misfiring automaton, barely betraying any light behind his eyes."