Desiree Rogers leaves the Obama White House: Who's next?
Now that White House social secretary Desiree Rogers is leaving, critics say it's time for Obama to shake up the White House even more – starting with the inner core from Chicago.
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White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Rogers' departure was not tied to that bad publicity, and that she had not been asked to leave.
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It's far from clear that her departure has anything to do with a potential broader shakeup, of course. But at the very least, it may reveal tensions within the administration – tensions that alongside poll numbers may prompt Obama to make some new staffing decisions.
The website Politico reports that disagreements between Rogers and Valerie Jarrett, a close Obama aide from Chicago, have been rising in recent weeks.
On Friday, the president and first lady issued a short statement of gratitude for Rogers' service.
"When she took this position, we asked Desiree to help make sure that the White House truly is the People's House, and she did that by welcoming scores of everyday Americans through its doors, from wounded warriors to local schoolchildren to NASCAR drivers. She organized hundreds of fun and creative events during her time here, and we will miss her," the Obamas said.
It's not just the White House's Chicago crowd – headlined by Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel – who's facing criticism. (Transcript of Monitor breakfast with Rahm Emanuel here.)
Obama's economic team under fire too
On domestic policy, for example, the economic team of Larry Summers (key adviser) and Tim Geithner (Treasury Secretary) has been under fire. They're burdened by a slow economic recovery, but also by perceptions that they're too close to Wall Street at a time when banks are recovering and the rest of the economy not so much.
There's no guaranty of new faces in top positions. But with Obama pivoting and scrambling on several fronts, no one will be surprised if it happens.
Meanwhile, Fox News reports that the White House has chosen Julianna Smoot, a prominent Democratic Party fundraiser, to replace Desiree Rogers as social secretary:
“Smoot served as national finance director for Obama's presidential campaign, helping raise $32.5 million during one quarter in 2007. She has also served as finance director for then-Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle and John Edwards' successful Senate bid in 1998,” according to Fox. “Heading off expected criticism of the new aide's fundraising background, a senior White House official told Fox News that the social secretary for former President George W. Bush, Lea Berman, also had a fundraising pedigree.”
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