This is an interesting take on White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. I personally, am a fan of the Press Secretary, so I would tend to disagree with Mr. Neuharth:
The founder of America’s highest-circulation newspaper has delivered a negative verdict on White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, suggesting that President Obama’s public image is weaker than it could be in part because of his spokesman’s poor performance.
In a column published Friday, USA Today’s Al Neuharth writes that Gibbs “lacks any press experience and it shows.”
“Obama suffers because Gibbs is better at dealing with politicians than he is with the press,” Neuharth writes.
Listing Jim Hagerty, press secretary to Dwight Eisenhower; Jerry terHorst, press secretary to Gerald Ford; and Jody Powell, press secretary to Jimmy Carter, as the finest White House spokesmen he’s encountered, Neuharth concludes that Gibbs does not rank among their number.
“An example of Gibbs’ media shortcoming occurred Sunday on ‘Face the Nation’ with Bob Schieffer on CBS. In answer to a question from Schieffer about the Gulf Coast oil mess he said, ‘The government is doing everything humanly and technologically possible to plug the hole 5,000 feet above — ar — 5,000 feet below — the floor —below the ocean,’ ” Neuharth quotes. “Gibbs appeared amused rather than embarrassed by his answer.”
I personally like Gibbs a lot and I see why Obama would have chosen him to be his press secretary. He’s loyal to the President and seems as forthright as any press secretary CAN be and more guileless than any press secretary could possibly be. But that’s why I like him.