When White House Communications Director Ellen Moran left the West Wing in late April, it wasn't presented as a firing. But however her departure unfolded, one thing was clear: Moving from the West Wing to the Department of Commerce wasn't a promotion.
On April 22, when she announced she was taking a job as chief of staff to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Moran told POLITICO: "This is a perfect fit for me professionally and personally. ... When I had the opportunity, I jumped at it."
Moran was one of the few high-profile women on Obama's political staff, and her departure revived questions about the insularity of a White House team forged in the 2008 presidential campaign. Beyond thanking her for her "leadership" and praising her "management and strategic skills," however, Obama and his aides had little to say about the resignation of the former EMILY's List director.
"She had the opportunity to go work as the chief of staff for the ... new Commerce Secretary. It's a position that greatly interests her, and it gives her a chance to spend more time with her husband and her children," Gibbs told reporters in a gaggle on Air Force One.
"The team is incredibly grateful and thankful for the work that she's put in over the first part of this administration," he added later. It was the Obama administration's 92nd day in office.
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