Robert Gibbs May Become Obama Press Secretary

Now that the victory and celebrations for Barack Obama are fading, talk of his political team is taking over the headlines. Obama began his transition by naming Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff, and more positions will be filled in later weeks. One person that will need to defend Obama's positions and policies to the press when he gets to the White House is the press secretary. This morning, reports are that Obama has already taken care of that by naming Robert Gibbs as his first White House press secretary.

According to Politico.com, Robert Gibbs is already in place for press secretary at the White House. This second choice for an Obama White House team member is another example of Obama rewarding his friends. Gibbs served as Obama's communications director in the Senate and was a top aide in the campaign.

Gibbs spoke out for Obama in a few testy interviews on FOX with McCain aides and Sean Hannity in the campaign's final days and weeks.

Gibbs is described as a "court jester" and someone who was able to cheer Obama up during the campaign. Gibbs handled Obama's messages and relationships with the media, and will be doing roughly the same thing as a press secretary.

Gibbs worked for John Kerry before leaving his camp in 2003, before Kerry was to win the Democratic nomination.

The role of White House press secretary became rather publicized and often infamous during the Bush years. Several people filled the position, starting with Ari Fleischer. Scott McClellan also had the job for a time, then made more news speaking out against the Bush administration in a book this year.

Tony Snow came over from FOX News to hold the position before he died of cancer. Dana Perino became the fourth Bush press secretary in 2007.

Other famous White House press secretaries have been George Stephanopoulous in the Clinton administration, James Brady in the Reagan years, Ron Zieglar in the Nixon administration, Bill Moyers under Lyndon Johnson, and Pierre Salinger in the Kennedy administration.

Gibbs would be the 30'th White House press secretary since the job was created in 1929 under Herbert Hoover.

Sources

Politico.com- "Gibbs to be White House Press Secretary" www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1108/Gibbs_to_be_White_House_Press_Secretary.html

Newsweek- "The Constant Companion: Robert Gibbs" www.newsweek.com/id/136350

Wikipedia- "White House Press Secretary" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Press_Secretary