JAN 5, 2010
Robert Gibbs is out. Spin it however you like.
3 down….a whole lot more to go.
barry spoke to NY Times via phone.
BARRY: Robert, on the podium, has been extraordinary. Off the podium, he has been one of my closet advisers. He is going to continue to have my ear for as long as I’m in this job.
We’ve been on this ride together since I won my Senate primary in 2004. 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 continued the party line. (video)
GIBBS: Stepping back will take some adjusting. 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.
This has been an extraordinary journey, an amazing privilege to serve the country and to serve this president. It’s an opportunity, quite frankly, of a lifetime. But it’s important to take a step back and recharge, ahead of 2012, when we transition to the task of re-electing the president.
