Raleigh native Brad Woodhouse, communications director for the Democratic National Committee, is being mentioned as a possible replacement for White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. Gibbs, a graduate of N.C. State, said today he'll step down as press secretary.
The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza writes that Woodhouse, 43, could be on a shortlist of candidates for the job.
"Southern, wry and politically minded, Woodhouse and Gibbs are personal friends," Cillizza writes. "Woodhouse is eminently quotable and has strong relations with the national press corps thanks to years of flacking for candidates and campaigns. The one knock on him? He might be too political for the official White House staff."
Charlotte Observer political writer Jim Morrill points out that Woodhouse and Gibbs worked together in former Rep. Bob Etheridge's office. Woodhouse also was a spokesman for Erskine Bowles' 2002 U.S. Senate campaign.
Woodhouse isn't the only member of his family in the political spotlight. His brother Dallas is director of the N.C. chapter of the conservative Americans for Prosperity. They've sparred publicly over issues like President Obama's health care proposal, including during a joint appearance last year on CNN.
“You cannot have an honest debate with folks like my brother on this issue,” Brad told CNN host John Roberts. “It’s simple that the president is losing this debate,"
Dallas responded: "You know he’s losing this debate when people like my brother and the White House start attacking hard-working, tax-paying citizens as mobsters.”
UPDATE: Reached at his Washinton office, Brad Woodhouse declined to comment on whether he had spoken with White House officials about the big job. But he and Gibbs are still good friends and are in frequent contact, he said.