January 5, 2011, From Inside the White House Press Room -- It was a bittersweet scene as we watched Robert Gibbs try to explain why he will soon leave the White House. To some of us, it seemed he may have been pushed to go at this time. His plans for the future have not yet gelled, although he hopes to consult and lecture. He will probably be a paid political advisor to the next Obama presidential campaign, but he said, surprisingly, this is expected to be his last political candidate. He did say -- half in jest -- he would be delighted to serve as Ambassador to Italy at some point.
His departure was no surprise, and had been discussed for months. Many in the press room were unhappy with his habit of giving preferential treatment to the "star" reporters in the first two or three rows. They could get an endless amount of question time, while the rest of the reporters only got crumbs, even if they too were very important and influential. Robert Gibbs reflected the style of his boss, President Obama, and gave long answers. Often there was no actual news in those answers, and very few quotes made it into print or onto the electronic media.
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