A former journalist who built a career covering politics and presidents before joining the White House himself on Thursday became US President Barack Obama’s choice as his next press secretary and chief defender. A broad, weeks-long shakeup of the administration settled into place as Obama sought to rejuvenate and reshape his staff for the rest of his term.
The naming of a new press secretary means Americans will be seeing a new face all over TV coverage and in newspapers on behalf of Obama: Jay Carney, 45, who looks the part, but has never done a stint behind any briefing room podium.
NEW ROLE
He spent two decades as a journalist for Time magazine, including as a White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief, before changing career paths to become US Vice President Joe Biden’s -communications director in 2008.
The makeup of the White House senior staff has been changing for weeks as Obama throttles into a new phase of his presidency.
The next move will come when one of Obama’s senior advisers, David Axelrod, leaves the White House on Friday. David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager in 2008, is now on the West Wing staff and led the press secretary review along with Daley and communications director Dan Pfeiffer.
REPLACEMENT
Sometime in the next few weeks, Carney will replace Robert Gibbs, who served as Obama’s spokesman, friend and trusted counselor in the White House. Gibbs is quitting for a lighter schedule and a more lucrative career in the private sector after a grueling, years-long run at Obama’s side, but he will remain an adviser and will serve on the president’s re-election campaign.
Carney has only gotten to know Obama over the last two years and is not expected to have the influence that Gibbs did. However, White House aides assured that Carney would have all the access he needed to speak with credibility on Obama’s behalf, and his fast rise to the top of Obama’s press operation reflects how well he is regarded by the president.
SHOW OF RESPECT
Obama chose Carney over several candidates to whom he gave serious consideration, including ones who know the president better and also work inside the West Wing.
White House aides were quick to speak of Obama’s respect and confidence in those who ultimately didn’t get the job. For Obama, what seemed to push Carney to the top was his dual history of being a reporter and a spokesman; the way he handled his work for Biden; and his experience. He is roughly a decade older than some other candidates.
Named to the job, but not quite in the role yet, Carney offered reporters a response that won’t hold for long: No comment.
That’s been his style over the last two years — keeping his name out of the news in deference to his boss, Biden — but that will change as he and Gibbs work out their transition.
Gibbs said Carney would be great at one of the toughest jobs in politics, saying he had smarts, a tireless work ethic and, most importantly, the confidence of Obama and Biden.
“The hardest thing is going to be getting to know the president — his nuances and subtleties,” said former US president George W. Bush’s first press secretary, Ari Fleischer. “In other words, when you sit in on all these important meetings, what is it that the president wants you to say — and, more importantly, what does he want you not to say.”
Obama’s new chief of staff, Bill Daley, announced Carney’s appointment and a package of other personnel changes in an e-mail to staff on Thursday, saying they would provide more clarity and coordination.
BLOWING UP
As a former journalist, Carney may be more sympathetic to the needs of the White House press corps than Gibbs has been, although Carney is known for occasionally blowing up at reporters when he thinks they’re getting the story wrong. He also must build relations quickly with the reporters who cover the White House.
Carney worked for Time magazine for 20 years, most recently serving as Washington bureau chief from 2005 to 2008. He covered the White Houses of US presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and was on Air Force One on the day of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He speaks Russian and was based in Moscow for Time during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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