Posted on 01/05/2011 7:14:52 AM PST by kristinn
Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary and close confidante to President Obama, said Wednesday that he will step down and become an outside political adviser to the president and his re-election campaign.
M. Gibbs said that he intends to leave the podium in early February. His successor has not yet been decided, he said, but will likely be announced within the next two weeks.
The departure of Mr. Gibbs is the first in a series of moves inside the West Wing as the president prepares for a new phase of his administration. The internal shuffling also could bring a new White House chief of staff, a decision the president is expected to make by weeks end, with an announcement as early as next week.
SNIP
Mr. Gibbs will remain part of the presidents inner circle of political advisers, along with David Axelrod, a senior adviser and Jim Messina, a deputy chief of staff, who also are leaving the White House to focus on the presidents re-election effort. Mr. Gibbs will defend Mr. Obama on television and will expand his presence on Twitter and other Internet platforms as well as beginning to define the field of 2012 Republican presidential candidates.
Stepping back will take some adjusting, Mr. Gibbs said in an interview Wednesday morning. But at the same time, I have a feeling that I will keep myself quite busy, not just with speaking, but continuing to help the president.
He said he has no intention of establishing a political consulting or lobbying business, but he intends to work from the same downtown Washington office where David Plouffe has spent the last two years. Mr. Plouffe, who was Mr. Obamas campaign manager, will move to the White House and work as a senior adviser to the president.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Well crap. There goes the “uh” drinking game.
What the heck is he gonna do in the private sector? Isuzu has gone out of business, so they don’t need a new spokesman.
Mr. Gibbs will defend Mr. Obama on television.
Perfect! Thatll be like having Mr. Haney on Green Acres doing the sales pitch!
Guess he didn’t get the the Chief of Staff job.
Who are we going to kick around now?
Perfect! Thatll be like having Mr. Haney on Green Acres doing the sales pitch!
Careful! Mr. Haney (actor Pat Buttram) went on to work as a speechwriter in the Reagan Administration!
What the heck is he gonna do in the private sector?
Sell insurance.
Gibbs would make a great Chief of Staph for the PO(TU)S.
I think I heard there is a casting call for a Howdy Doody look alike that requires already attached puppet strings.
Enter...Chris Matthews.
Gibbs is only 39 years old? Good God, I look younger at 53!
No, we did not.
What! I thought he was going to be the best press secretary evah!
Maybe that clown Scott what’s his name will come back.
He’s a closet Dem anyway.
Enter Alan Grayson?
It’s the forehead. Can you imagine anyone that young (with hair) chosing to show that much acreage? Besides Paul Begala I mean...
Or maybe Jimmuh Carter.
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