Notebook: White House Moves Not Over
CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod filed this Reporter's Notebook from Washington.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan started the week off by telling the press corps new Chief of Staff Josh Bolten had told everyone if they were thinking about leaving, now would be the time. Scott was asked if he was considering leaving.
He gave his usual non-committal answer and then added what, in retrospect, seems to have been a clue: "Two years is a long time to do this job."
Actually it was two years and nine months. And it is a long time. It's a demanding job. You have to be conversant on such a wide range of subjects — everything from India's nuclear program to the war in Iraq to China's trade policy to who's running in a competitive congressional race in California. You cannot be a mile wide and an inch deep — you've got to be a mile wide and a mile deep.
You are also among the most visible faces of the administration, a certain target for both frustrated reporters and the late night comedians.
McClellan's resignation is the latest change but won't be the last. Look for at least one new Cabinet secretary — Treasury is talked about most often. Bolten's No. 1 job is to hit the reset button, injecting a new sense of direction into the administration. That's a job requiring more than just a new press secretary.