White House Press Secretary: Robert Gibbs

At 37, Gibbs is one of the youngest on Obama's team. The two men were very close during the election campaign: Gibbs and his wife and child have holidayed with the Obamas and the tie Obama wore for his victory speech on November 4 was Gibbs's. Time magazine says the President-elect has picked an "ultra-loyalist who has spent the past few years wedded to his [Obama's] side." Obama has said: "Robert is the guy I want in the foxhole with me during incoming fire... If I'm wrong, he challenges me. He's not intimidated by me."

FIRST POSTED JANUARY 6, 2009