gibbs was a disaster
former dnc howard dean this morning on msnbc:
"[M]ost of the people who were [causing the friction] are either out of the White House or going," Dean said."So I guess I would say there is in process a huge senior staff shakeup going on at the White House. I think that is a very good thing and I think that will help… The core issue is the contempt, which not just the progressives were treated by but lots of people were treated by, by senior advisers around the president who have been here for 20 years and thought they knew everything and we knew nothing. That is a fundamental flaw in any kind of administration. As they say, 'Don't let the door hit you in the you-know-what on the way out.'"
Robert Gibbs leaving to work on President Obama's campaign - Glenn Thrush and Carol E. Lee - POLITICO.com
"contempt" is a relatively new charge, "combative" has been an almost consensual characterization of the dismissed mouthpiece for the better part of a year
google: "robert gibbs combative," you'll see how often the appellation has been applied
the weirdest part is---it was the folks in the m-s-m, once so THRILLED with obama, with whom the press secretary was so impish
remember when gibbs called out the "professional left," recommending they should be "drug tested"
Robert Gibbs says leftwing critics of Obama 'ought to be drug tested' | Richard Adams | World news | guardian.co.uk
he immediately went into hiding for a couple months, replaced by asst bill burton, and gibbs never really recovered
his infamous prediction on mtp that dems might lose the house also hurt
Gibbs: Democrats Could Lose House - CBS News
gibbs was the "consummate insider," according to roger simon's journolisters this morning (see politico link above)
and that's a big part of the problem
the president appears extremely reluctant to surround himself with anyone not from chicago, elite academia or the basketball court
compared to every other modern president, obama looks almost painfully insecure in the presence of outsiders, pros and adults
"insular" is the word used most often used to describe this white house, sources as mainstream as the washington post, mike allen and chris matthews
did you hear that WILLIAM DALEY is the president's likely next chief of staff
the brother of richard m and son of richard j (america's pharaoh) was seen in the west wing this morning
Potential top aide visits Obama | POLITICO 44
while rahm goes to CHICAGO, william DALEY comes to dc to take over for rahm
it's almost LOL-able
the staff is in shambles, the entire economic team has fled, romer, orszag, summers
the political posse---axelrod's out, plouffe was brought in, but the 2008 campaign choreographer has been kept mostly in a closet
the security crew---mcchrystal, blair, jones
meanwhile, howard dean this morning did not confine his criticisms to the secty
The former Democratic National Committee chairman, who is frequently called on to speak for the party’s left wing, said President Barack Obama has thus far been ill served by “a group of senior advisers around the president who’ve been here [in Washington] for 20 years and thought they knew everything and we knew nothing.”
“That will change dramatically if Bill Daley comes in,” he added, throwing his support behind the possible selection of Daley as the president’s next chief of staff. “He’s a grown-up.”
Without naming names — “I’m not talking about anyone in particular,” Dean said, “it’s the whole mind-set” — Dean said Obama has been surrounded by a gang of Beltway insiders whose style and actions reeked of business as usual. As a result, those who voted for Obama’s promise of changing the ways of Washington have been disappointed.
“They thought they were going to get a fundamental cleanup of Washington, and they didn’t get it,” Dean said. The desire to change the capital’s old way of operating “is what the left has in common with the tea party,” he said.
Howard Dean rips senior W.H. advisers - Molly Ball - POLITICO.com
thus it comes as no surprise that out-of-his-element obama looks to insiders, burton or biden spokesman jay carney, to replace pugnacious gibbs
wapo, home of journolist founder ezra klein, reported yesterday the white house's mulling of a major shakeup---up to EIGHT staffers may be moved in the "next few weeks"
BUT, according to the post, it appears the admin, rather than turning to anyone NEW, is likely to "reshuffle" people already there:
The staff reshuffling will not necessarily bring new faces to an administration that has been criticized for being insular. Most of the positions in play are likely to go to officials already in the West Wing or to campaign loyalists.
Gibbs tells staffers he is leaving White House