Reply #1: Robert Gibbs [View All]

[Pirate Smile]

Name: Robert Gibbs

Chosen for: White House press secretary

Will bring to the job: Intimate familiarity with the president-elect’s thinking. He is also knowledgeable about Congress and speaks fluently on policy issues.

Is linked to Mr. Obama by: Has worked for him since 2004 and played a central role in guiding him through his first two years in the Senate and his ascension to the national scene. He has advised Mr. Obama on politics, strategy and messaging, and is often the last person to speak to him before he takes the stage. For the last four years, during Mr. Obama’s time in the Senate and throughout his race for the presidency, no adviser has spent more time at Mr. Obama’s side than Mr. Gibbs.

In his own words: Talking about Southerners, a title Mr. Gibbs wears proudly: “We help people understand the importance of college football and college basketball.”

Used to work as: A spokesman for Senator John Kerry in 2003, during the early stages of his presidential run. He also has worked on several campaigns, including that of Senator Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina. In the Obama campaign, Mr. Gibbs was promoted to senior strategist after starting as communications director. Mr. Gibbs had initially planned to work from the Chicago headquarters, but began traveling with Mr. Obama to keep him sharp and focused.

Carries as baggage: His aggressive communication skills; while close to Mr. Obama, Mr. Gibbs does not always share his boss’s steady temperament, and this has caused dust-ups during the presidential campaign. Mr. Gibbs’s friends say he is working at being calm under pressure, a vital skill for a press secretary who stands at the White House podium as the face of the administration.

Is otherwise known for: His love of football and his many television appearances during the presidential campaign. Mr. Gibbs drew the applause of Democrats last month when he went on a tirade against Sean Hannity, the Fox News host, forcefully asking him if he was an anti-Semite. Last month for Halloween, Mr. Gibbs took a brief break from the campaign trail to dress up as Darth Vader and go trick-or-treating with his son.

Biography includes: Born March 29, 1971, in Auburn, Ala. ... graduated from North Carolina State University ... married to a lawyer, has one son and lives in Virginia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/us/politics/06gibbs.html