White House press secretary Jay Carney became the news instead of just delivering it yesterday, when President Barack Obama unexpectedly interrupted the daily media briefing to announce Carney’s resignation after three and a half years as his primary spokesman.
Obama said it was “bittersweet” to see his friend Carney step down and announced that principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest will take over the job. Carney said the transition will take place around mid-June, but Earnest will take his place traveling next week on Obama’s trip to Europe.”He comes to this place with a reporter’s perspective,” Obama told reporters after interrupting Carney midsentence as he responded to a question on Ukraine in the Brady Press Briefing Room. “That’s why, believe it or not, I think he will miss hanging out with you.”
A key component of a White House press secretary’s job is to regularly joust with reporters in an intense question-and-answer session. Obama said he is putting the “flak jacket” for dealing with the press on another friend in Earnest, who has worked with Obama since he was his communications director for the Iowa caucuses in the 2008 campaign.
