Will Gibbs Ditch Press Gig?

Is Robert Gibbs ready to quit being Obama’s mouthpiece and slide into a more senior role? The Washington Post reports that the White House press secretary is the likely candidate to replace David Axelrod, when the president’s senior adviser bolts Washington to lead the president’s eventual 2012 campaign. For now, the talkative Gibbs is being tight-lipped, but he’s happy to discuss how he’s improved as a big-thinker, doing the kind of work Axelrod does now. "I admit: I didn't come to this naturally," Gibbs told The Post about his current job. "How you approach every day tactically doesn't necessarily determine who wins either a campaign, a nomination, an election or a legislative battle." Said one veteran Democratic operative, "He's definitely got the chops for a broader political portfolio.”