Obama’s former aide shares glimpses of life with president (Reggie Comes Clean)

UCLA Today ^ | Jul 24, 2013 | Judy Lin

[TexasCajun]

What was it like to spend virtually every waking hour as Barack Obama’s personal aide, responsible for everything from keeping him on schedule to providing him with mouthwash, aspirin and the latest headline news?

A small gathering of graduate students and faculty from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs got the inside scoop last week from Reggie Love, former "body man" to Obama, during a July 18 lunch hosted by Luskin School Dean Frank Gilliam. Love talked about his path to the White House and the valuable life lessons he learned. Later that evening, he spoke at an Artists and Athletes Alliance forum in Beverly Hills moderated by Jim Newton, a Luskin senior fellow and Los Angeles Times editor-at-large.

Over box lunches with the students in a Luskin conference room, the Charlotte, N.C. native recalled that "it was just 10 years ago that I was sitting in your seats, studying at Duke University, with a double major in public policy and political science." But he also played on the school’s Blue Devils basketball and football teams and had aspirations of joining the NFL. After graduating in 2004, he briefly played with the Green Bay Packers and then with the Dallas Cowboys for two years. "I thought it was the most amazing thing I could do … until I got fired," he commented wryly.

Friends who were making big money at Goldman Sachs encouraged him to join them on Wall Street. But Love chose politics. "There was this senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, I was passionate about," said Love, who felt inspired by the politician’s book, "The Audacity of Hope." So in 2006, he decided to send his résumé to a staff member of then-U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

[TexasCajun]

"A week later," Love said, "I got a call from Pete Rouse," who was chief of staff in Obama’s U.S. Senate office. Following an interview with Robert Gibbs, then-Obama’s communications director, the 22-year-old Love landed a job as a staff assistant at an annual salary of $26,000. "It was one level above an intern," he recalled. "I basically started in the mailroom," where he quickly proved his mettle...

[TexasCajun]

When Obama’s victory led to the White House in 2009, Love continued as his aide and became something of a celebrity himself, profiled in stories for his expertise in all-things-Obama, from helping the president keep track of the dozens of people he met every day to being on-the-spot with stain remover...

[TexasCajun]

[gaijin]

A former NFL player is a straight-acting gay BOTTOM...?

Wow.

[molson209]

BARF , real men don’t touch

[TexasCajun]

While the U.S. military operation was overseen by the CIA and the president, Obama chose not to spend every moment in the situation room but nearby in an executive dining room with close aides, including Love. "We must have played 15 games of spades," Love recalled, interrupted by a steady stream of dispatches from the situation room. He added that when he left the White House later that night, after the president delivered news of bin Laden’s death, "there were thousands of people out on Pennsylvania Avenue, people crying and cheering. It was a very powerful, moving day."

Explains how Obama could sleep the night away while the Benghazi terrorist attack was unfolding.

[TexasCajun]

Real men don’t use “passionate” to describe their BFF.

[Travis McGee]

Love: Obama Played Cards During Osama Raid; ‘I Can’t Watch This Entire Thing,’ Obama Said

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/love-obama-played-cards-during-osama-raid-i-can-t-watch-entire-thing-obama-said_748413.html

[jrg]

"We must have played 15 games of spades,"

Spades? Isn't that a bit raaaaaaaaaaaacist.

maybe it wasn't the card game, but was a game of burying each other's spade in the Hershey highway

[Veto!]

http://hillbuzz.org/bizarre-white-house-releases-statement-on-breakup-of-barack-obama-and-his-boyfriend-reggie-love-84658

[TexasCajun]

Wonder if Reggie kept his stained blue shirt just as Monica kept her stained blue dress?

[SharpRightTurn]

“Love talked about his path to the White House”

An interesting way to put it.

[Standing Wolf]

Explains how Obama could sleep the night away while the Benghazi terrorist attack was unfolding.

You beat me to it, TexasCajun.

[TexasCajun]

From your link:

But, if you’re someone who hasn’t been in a coma for the last couple of years, you know the real deal.

Yes we do.

[TexasCajun]

Monica & Reggie have lots in common.

[The_Media_never_lie]

I remember that night. Obama was 1 hour late breaking the news. The media had figured it out by then.

[gaijin]

Can I get a toootally FABULOUS Hail to the Chief, y'all...?!

TEE HEE HEE....!

[jmacusa]

Real men don’t have’’ Best Freinds Forever’’. High School girls text messaging each other do. Real men have ‘’blood brothers’’.

[subterfuge]

Wow. What a fluff-piece. Thanks forposting though.

[gaijin]