US President Barack Obama's top spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday he will step down and work outside the White House as an advocate for his boss, as an administration reshuffle gathered pace. Gibbs, one of Obama's closest advisors, possesses sharp political instincts and a sometimes tart briefing style.
He plays a central role in the White House and is not limited to the traditional press secretary portfolio. He told AFP he would work on Obama's 2012 reelection bid, continue to advise his boss from outside the White House and take to the speaking circuit in support of the president and his policies.
The departure of Gibbs, who was to conduct his first briefing of 2011 later on Wednesday, comes as Obama contemplates a reshuffle to freshen his administration and as his reelection campaign machinery begins to stir. "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," Obama said in a statement.
"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." The brutal hours and high pressures of working in the White House exact a heavy toll on staffers, and it is not unusual for press secretaries and other senior advisors to have a limited shelf life.
Obama is also seeking to refresh his brain trust following the Democratic wipe-out in mid-term elections last year and as Republicans challenge the administration with their take-over of the House of Representatives.
The president has been considering naming William Daley, a former Clinton-era commerce secretary who has ties to the business community, as his White House chief of staff, following the departure of Rahm Emanuel last year. His top 2008 campaign strategist David Plouffe meanwhile is due to start work at the White House within days, while Obama's long-time political guru David Axelrod will head to Chicago to fire up the campaign.
Obama is expected to name a new head of his National Economic Council as soon as this week, to replace Lawrence Summers, who has left the administration after two years seeking to reinvigorate the crisis-hit US economy. A flurry of reports suggested that Gene Sperling, a Clinton-era economic official who is already working in the administration, may replace Summers.
So far, no replacement has been named for Gibbs. Most mentioned possible replacements include his deputy Bill Burton and Vice President Joe Biden's spokesman Jay Carney. Gibbs has been at Obama's side since the former Illinois state lawmaker ran for the Senate in 2004, at the start of a lightning rise to power.
"Stepping back will take some adjusting," Gibbs told the New York Times on Wednesday. "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." From the podium in the White House press room, Gibbs appears to relish sparring with reporters and skewering Obama's Republican foes, but also has a seat at the table in the administration's sensitive inner deliberations.
A former college goalkeeper, Gibbs is a keen sports fan and sprinkles his briefings with sporting metaphors, and once had to don a Canadian ice hockey jersey on camera after losing an Olympic bet with his counterpart in Ottawa. According to the latest White House disclosures on staff salaries, Gibbs earns 172,000 dollars a year as press secretary.
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