Reaction to Robert Gibbs' Departure

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced Wednesday that he was leaving his post as President Barack Obama's chief spokesman toward the end of January. The 39-year-old from Alabama will continue working for Obama, this time serving as the president's private-sector consultant in preparation for the 2012 re-election campaign.

The resignation drew comments and speculation from political pundits, politicians and President Obama.

"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." -- Official statement by President Barack Obama.

"Robert has been a tremendously fierce advocate for the president, but the official capacity of the podium and the White House does have its constraints." -- Brad Woodhouse, communications director for the Democratic National Committee, in a Washington Post article.

"What this says about the Obama White House is that they are getting very, very serious about him being re-elected. You know, David Axelrod left and he's going to work on the campaign and now Gibbs is leaving and he's going to work on the campaign. So what this is saying is, 'Let's bring the battle-hardened pros and have them focus on the campaign." -- Huffington Post's Roy Sekoff in a CNN interview with Joy Behar.

"Oh, no! Now who will our nation's press court turn to for its choreographed non-answers? He's leaving after two years. Why is it that no human being can withstand more than two years as a presidential press secretary? There must be an organ somewhere in the body that can only filter two years worth of heavy duty bulls**t." -- Jon Stewart's response on the Jan. 5 airing of "The Daily Show."

"He has said the occasional provocative thing; he's a feisty guy. But when it comes to the meat of his work, which is conveying the administration's viewpoint to you guys in the media, he's been superb. It's not an easy job. You sit in a dunk tank for an hour and a half every day." -- Senior White House adviser David Axelrod in a Los Angeles Times article.