With less than two years to go before he leaves office, President Obama on Tuesday shook up his inner circle, appointing a new senior adviser and creating a new White House position focused on digital media and communications.
Shailagh Murray, a former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reporter who for the past four years has served as Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s communications director, will become Mr. Obama’s next senior adviser. She’ll replace outgoing adviser Dan Pfeiffer.
The president also is appointing Jason Goldman to be the first White House chief digital officer. Mr. Goldman is a Silicon Valley mainstay, having played integral roles at Twitter, Google and other household names in the technology realm.
The administration says the moves are proof Mr. Obama is not content to fade into obscurity during his final two years in office.
“Important things happen in the fourth quarter, and I am grateful to have an extraordinary team in place to accomplish all we can over the next two years on behalf of the American people,” the president said in a statement. “For four years, I’ve relied on Shailagh Murray’s strategic advice and keen ability to cut through the Washington noise to focus on what matters to everyday Americans, and I’m proud to have her as a senior advisor. She’s been an invaluable asset to Vice President Biden, but fortunately for him — and the country — she’ll still be down the hall. And as the first-ever chief digital officer at the White House, Jason Goldman brings new energy and coveted expertise as someone who’s helped shape the digital age.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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