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Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Confirms He Is Leaving the White House in February

by Tommy Christopher | 10:39 am, January 5th, 2011

» 21 comments

After months of speculation that mainly centered around a move into a senior advisory position within the Obama administration, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs confirmed that he will be stepping down as press secretary in February. But instead of a senior administration post, Gibbs is leaving the White House altogether, a development that has only recently been rumored. No replacement for Gibbs has been named, but Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton is the heavy favorite.

Gibbs made the news official this morning, and President Obama gave a brief statement to The New York Times’ Caucus Blog:

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.

Mr. 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.

President Obama, who is in the midst of making final decisions on the first major reorganization of his administration, said in a brief telephone interview on Wednesday that Mr. Gibbs would remain a close adviser and “will continue to shape the dialogue politically for many years to come.”

“We’ve been on this ride together since I won my Senate primary in 2004,” Mr. Obama said. “He’s had a six-year stretch now where basically he’s been going 24/7 with relatively modest pay. I think it’s natural for someone like Robert to want to step back for a second to reflect, retool and that, as a consequence, brings about both challenges and opportunities for the White House.”

Gibbs’ departure, as Jake Tapper notes, means that President Obama will soon be without his three closest advisers. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel left the White House to run for Mayor of Chicago, and David Axelrod will be leaving, as well, to work on President Obama’s re-election bid.

Update: President Obama has released the following statement on the departure of Robert Gibbs: (via email from The White House)

“For the last six years, Robert has been a close friend, one of my closest advisers and an effective advocate from the podium for what this administration has been doing to move America forward. I think it’s natural for him to want to step back, reflect and retool. That brings up some challenges and opportunities for the White House – but it doesn’t change the important role that Robert will continue to play on our team.”

Bill Burton, Jake Tapper, President Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Robert Gibbs

skyfet

Going back to sweet home Alabama.
More Liberty2

Yawn
TangledThorns

Send ‘em all back to Chicago.
SmartAlec

I…umm…uhh…am…really…uhh…umm…sorry…to…well…umm…I…don’t know…ummm…uhh…you’ll have to ask…ummm…uh…that’s all I know about…umm…uhh…I’ll get back to you…uhh…ummm…ummm….uhhh…
Th…Th…Th…Th…That’s all folks.
Just4thefax

Fact: Good bye….. Bagdad Bob Gibbs!
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

So, now we know the new gig David Shuster has hinted at for a couple of weeks. (j/k)

More seriously, Bill Burton may be the heavy favorite, but something could be said for bringing back Joe Lockhart or Mike McCurry because they have experience with divided government.
lazzzlo

Like I’ll say about every other Press Secretary: Damn, that has got to be a hard job!

Everybody lies, everybody wants credit, nobody wants to take responsibility and it is all yer fault.
timzank

He’ll be missed, he’s a wonderful entertainer.
VoiceofReason

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Confirms He Is Leaving the White House in February
» 7 commentsby Tommy Christopher | 10:39 am, January 5th, 2011

So he can begin to devote all his efforts to his real job as morning anchor at PMSNBC………….
BatBoy

He was gone the day he took over and never improved.

On thing for certain is that the person taking over this job can only improve it.
http://www.storminsmorningjava.blogspot.com/ stormin1961

i thought his name was spelled F-I-B-B-S all these years. boy, do i feel stupid.
lazzzlo

timzank said:
He’ll be missed, he’s a wonderful entertainer.

I used to love watching Dede Myers just lie wonderfully for Clinton.

Give it up to the great ones!
Harry Flashman

Meh.

Press Secretaries come and go in every presidency, no matter who sits in the big chair.

Their job is to spin whatever the president does in the most positive way they can. Gibbs, while being an irritatingly poor liar on Obama’s behalf at times, did his job well.

But…okaybye. Next?
fgdfgry

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lazzzlo

Harry Flashman said:
Meh.

Press Secretaries come and go in every presidency, no matter who sits in the big chair.

Their job is to spin whatever the president does in the most positive way they can. Gibbs, while being an irritatingly poor liar on Obama’s behalf at times, did his job well.

But…okaybye. Next?

I will give them full credit always. They are young and the compromise themselves.

Their job is to define in flowerful ways the word “obfuscate”.

I respect good bullshit.
lazzzlo

I will say it again….I respect good bullshit.
Harry Flashman

“I respect good bullshit.”

Exactly. I don’t like Gibbs but, hey, good bullshit in that job is something to be admired even if you do recognize it for what it is.
lazzzlo

The press spokespeople get put and are asked immposible stuff.

I have a lot of respect for them because I know I would have lost my temper at least once trying to define something someone said somewhere.
OxyCon

Sure gonna miss him…
Georgia999

Good riddance to the Master of Spin ! The only problem is…..who will replace him and can this person live in Obama’s Fantasy Spin Land?
Georgia999

SmartAlec said:
I…umm…uhh…am…really…uhh…umm…sorry…to…well…umm…I…don’t know…ummm…uhh…you’ll have to ask…ummm…uh…that’s all I know about…umm…uhh…I’ll get back to you…uhh…ummm…ummm….uhhh…Th…Th…Th…Th…That’s all folks.

Exactly !