Goodbye, Gibbs...well, sort of but not really

Gibbs, I'm sorry to see you go. I'm also sorry that you won't be the whipping boy for the popular press. I'm not surprised that you are not really leaving politics. It's interesting that you are going to be taking an office pretty close to where you work now and advising the president, which you do now. However, what's interesting is that it all feels...well...shallow and a little political (go figure...it's DC).

I understand that you've been running on all cylinders for about 3 years now. Tough on the family and tough on the body, I'm sure. Not everyone likes you. I think you're an okay press secretary. Nothing over the top, but acceptable. What I don't understand is all this shifting sand at a time when the nation seeks a little permanence, a little stability. But I guess the elixir of political power and continued advantage gets to every president, and he (and perhaps she at some point in the future) must reserve his best people not to serve the country but to help him (or her) get reelected.

Something tells me that your departure is really symptomatic of a greater pestilence in our nation's capital: self-aggrandizement at the expense of service to the nation. It's okay, Gibbs. We won't hold it against you in 2 to 6 years. We probably won't even remember you. Not that the lack of remembrance will be in a mean-spirited manner, but we literally just don't remember press secretaries.

Good luck, Gibbs. And oh, tell the president to put on some jogging pants and a decent shirt for goodness' sake.