NYT: BREAKING NEWS 9:57 AM Gibbs to Leave as White House Press Secretary

January 5, 2011, 9:56 AM
Gibbs to Leave as White House Press Secretary
By JEFF ZELENY

Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary and close confidante to President Obama, said Wednesday that he will step down and become an outside political adviser to the president and his re-election campaign.

Mr. Gibbs said that he intends to leave the podium in early February. His successor has not yet been decided, he said, but will likely be announced within the next two weeks.

The departure of Mr. Gibbs is the first in a series of moves inside the West Wing as the president prepares for a new phase of his administration. The internal shuffling also could bring a new White House chief of staff, a decision the president is expected to make by week’s end, with an announcement as early as next week.

Mr. Obama has narrowed his choice for chief of staff to Pete Rouse, who is serving in the post on an interim basis, or William Daley, a former Commerce Secretary and the brother of Chicago’s mayor, Richard Daley. Mr. Daley has signaled to aides that he will accept the position if it is offered by the president, according to an official familiar with the talks. No other candidates are in line for the job.

more...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/gibbs-to-leave-as-white-house-press-secretary/

The leading potential replacements for press secretary include Jay Carney, a spokesman for Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., along with Bill Burton and Josh Earnest, who work as deputies to Mr. Gibbs. Other candidates also could be considered, an administration official said.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/gibbs-to-leave-as-white-house-press-secretary/