White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs will leave the post to "step back a little bit, recharge some," give speeches, and continue to advise the president, he said in Wednesday's White House press briefing. Here's a look back at some of his most memorable moments, inside and outside the press room.
1. The Enforcer: Gibbs seizes a phone from a reporter after it rings annoyingly during a briefing, then throws it to parts unknown. "Somebody caught it," he promises. The uproarious laughter of the reporters shows you how dry a typical briefing can be.
2. The Condescender-in-Chief: Gibbs brushes off a question about the White House social secretary and a dinner attended by Tareq and Michaele Salahi, at one point comparing the reporter who asked it to his son.
3. The Debater: During the 2008 election, Gibbs staked out his aggressive approach in a debate with Sean Hannity in which he tried to shut down Republican attempts to link then-Sen. Obama to Bill Ayres.
4. The Comedian: Gibbs got in an underhanded (pun intended) dig at former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
5. The Pitchman: Gibbs unveils the White House iPhone app with a jokey informational video. "If you want to see me set the White House press corps straight every day, live, now there's an app for that."
