Linda Douglass Resigns from White House Post

Linda Douglass, Director of Communications for the White House Office of Health Reform, announced her resignation today.

Although she gave no specific reason for her sudden departure, an official tells CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller that Douglass had always planned to leave the White House after health reform was enacted, citing the enormous demands it made of her.

"It has been a tremendous honor to serve the President, and leaving this great team is bittersweet," Douglass said in a statement released today.

"After nearly 2 years of work that has been exhilarating and grueling in equal measure," she continued, "I am going to step off the treadmill for awhile and rediscover the experience of dining with my husband on a regular basis."

Douglass is a former journalist most known for her work at ABC News, and joined the Obama campaign in 2008 as a strategist and spokeswoman. She then joined the White House communications team after Mr. Obama became president.

"It has been a privilege to be part of the health care team, and I will be cheering with pride from the sidelines as this historic law takes effect," she added in the statement.

White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer also released a statement today thanking Douglass for her hard work.

"Linda has been and will continue to be a valued advisor to this President and this White House. She was instrumental in the passage of historic health reform. We'll miss her hard work and the cheer she brought to the effort," he said.