White House Staffing, Resignation | featured news

Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary and one of the most visible and forceful advocates for President Barack Obama, is quitting his job to become an outside political adviser.

Gen. James L. Jones is resigning and will be replaced by Thomas E. Donilon, administration officials said.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will step down Friday to run for mayor of Chicago, two sources told CNN Thursday.

White House Budget Director Peter Orszag plans to step down from his job in July, making him the first senior member of President Barack Obama's economic team to leave, the New York Times reported on Monday.

President Obama's top intelligence adviser, Dennis Blair, has resigned. His office oversees 17 federal agencies of the U.S. intelligence community.

White House counsel Greg Craig, who's leaving in early January, has been the subject of repeated questions about his future since late summer. Centered on talk that Obama's promise to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison by January had gone awry under Craig's leadership, the questions were settled Friday when the White House announced Craig's departure.

White House Communications Director Anita Dunn is expected to be replaced by deputy Dan Pfeiffer.

President Barack Obama on Saturday stepped up his weeklong defense of much-criticized Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, saying he would not accept his resignation even if it was tendered.