President Obama announces that White House press secretary Jay Carney is resigning. Carney will not leave until mid-June, and will be replaced by his deputy, Josh Earnest. Carney says of his tenure as chief of the White House communications staff, “It’s been an amazing experience. Just so fulfilling.”
Obama explains:
In April, Jay came to me in the Oval Office and said that he was thinking of moving on, and I was not thrilled, to say the least. But Jay has had to wrestle with this decision for quite some time.
Obama calls Carney one of his best friends, and says he will continue to rely on him as an outside adviser. Earnestm he says, is “a straight shooter … honest and full of integrity.”
Earnest has been with Obama since the early days of the 2008 presidential caucuses.
“Today the flak jacket is officially passed to a new generation,” Obama says of Earnest.
Carney replaced Robert Gibbs as press secretary in 2011. He says he isn’t sure what he will do next, but he rules out his rumored post as ambassador to Russia. Mediaite columnist Joe Concha wrote in March that Carney should consider taking a position at CNN, where he could spar with conservative pundits on a regular basis. Concha wrote:
Jay Carney is confrontational. His critics call him cunning and condescending. His supporters say he knows how to throw a punch. In other words, Carney would be perfect for cable news.
The Daily Caller predicted his departure in March.
The National Republican Congressional Committee responds to the announcement in typical fashion, tweeting:
Tired of talking your way out of too many scandals, #JayCarney? Sign our farewell card.
Here is a video:
edited by tw
