Obama's Public Face Leaving Press Secretary Post.....

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Reelection???

Jimmy Carter Redux!

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http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-0105-gibbs-gone-20110106,0,7503226.story

Robert Gibbs, the media face of the Obama presidency, will leave his post as White House spokesman and will boost the president's reelection drive from outside the West Wing.

The departure of Gibbs as the chief spokesman has been rumored for weeks, but it was unclear whether he would stay in another job within the administration or whether he would leave the White House to work for Obama from outside.

Gibbs confirmed this morning that he will leave sometime in early February, after the president delivers his State of the Union speech to the new Congress.

No replacement has been named, but there are several candidates for the post, including deputy press secretary Bill Burton and another deputy, Josh Earnest. Jay Carney, a spokesman for Vice President Joe Biden, has also been mentioned.

As a private consultant, Gibbs will remain a top political adviser to Obama as the re-election campaign gears up. David Axelrod, a senior adviser and Jim Messina, a deputy chief of staff, are also leaving the White House to concentrate on the re-election campaign.

Gibbs said he will be "speaking and advising" from his new posting.

Gibbs, 39, began working for Obama in 2004.

Previously, he worked as a spokesman for Sen. John Kerry in 2003 and on several other campaigns, including that of Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina.

He was born March 29, 1971, in Auburn, Ala., and graduated from North Carolina State University. He lives in Virginia with his wife and son.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Gibbs will remain a top political adviser to Obama as the re-election campaign gears up. David Axelrod, a senior adviser and Jim Messina, a deputy chief of staff, are also leaving the White House to concentrate on the re-election campaign.

Gibbs said he will be "speaking and advising" from his new posting.

Gibbs, 39, began working for Obama in 2004.

Previously, he worked as a spokesman for Sen. John Kerry in 2003 and on several other campaigns,

Sounds like a winning combination to me.

[The_Dude 1,142]

You are surprised by this? When was the last press secretary that actually stayed for the duration of the administration? Last one who stayed for a president's entire administration was Marlin Fitzwater. They take the job in the first place because it is a springboard to a lucrative consulting job. He has access to the major players in the administration (at least for the next 2 years). That is a valuable asset, one that his predecessors have capitalized on as well. So please, stop the partisan hackneyed commentary like this, it isn't partisan, and it isn't as you and others will undoubtedly suggest "rats fleeing a sinking ship".