New Spokesperson

Published in La Tribuna
(Honduras) on 14 February 2011
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Miken Trogdon. Edited by Heidi Kaufmann.
It seems to me a great idea by President Barack Obama to name Jay Carney as the new White House press secretary in place of Robert Gibbs, who left his post last Friday in order to work exclusively on the president’s reelection.

Jay was born in the state of Virginia in 1965 and graduated from the prestigious Yale University, where he majored in foreign politics. Upon graduation, he was hired by Time magazine, which sent him to Moscow as a correspondent for three years. Later they brought him back to Washington and in 1993 designated him as correspondent to the White House.

Jay Carney was my colleague in the Capitol for many years, beginning in 1993. That same year I was hired by CNN En Español to be its White House correspondent. By that time I had been the acting full-time correspondent to the White House for La Tribuna and HRN for six years (since 1987). Three years later, in 1996, Time Warner and CNN merged, and Jay and I became journalist colleagues for the same news consortium. Curiously, Time magazine’s seat in the press room was right next to where I sat afterward. For many years and on numerous occasions, with Jay seated at my side, we together covered a whole series of presidential-spokesperson press conferences by employees of the Clinton administration, as well as by the president himself.

As well as covering the White House, Carney later appeared as a political analyst on programs for CNN and other TV channels, where he became known as an excellent analyst, always relevant and well informed. Later in 2003 he was named second-in-command of Time magazine’s bureau in Washington, and two years later he became the chief. Since then, he has continued to spearhead many channels and was a repeat guest of George Stephanopolous’ news program on ABC. It was in 2008 that Vice President Joe Biden asked Jay to be his communications chief and advisor — a position he occupied for more than two years up until he was selected as President Obama’s press secretary.

Jay is married to a fellow journalist and good friend, Claire Shipman, who covered the White House for CNN for many years until she was hired by ABC. The pair has two children and resides in Washington.

From now on, it will be Carney’s turn to manage controversial topics — among them, the position the White House takes on the situation in Egypt. Knowing him well, I bet that Carney will do good work as the presidential spokesman. He has all the experience in the world because he covered the White House for many years, in addition to having worked two years in the Capitol alongside Joe Biden. Now to Carney goes the difficult task of speaking on behalf of his president and his government.




En nuevo portavoz

Me parece un gran acierto del presidente Barack Obama el haber nombrado a Jay Carney como el nuevo secretario de Prensa de la Casa Blanca, en sustitución del renunciante Robert Gibbs, que el viernes pasado deja su puesto en la Casa de Gobierno para trabajar de lleno en la reelección del presidente.

Jay nació en el estado de Virginia en 1965 y se graduó en la prestigiosa Universidad de Yale, donde se especializó en política exterior. Al graduarse fue contratado por la revista Time que lo mandó por tres años como corresponsal a Moscú para posteriormente regresarlo a Washington y en 1993 designarlo corresponsal en la Casa Blanca.

Jay Carney fue mi colega en la Casa de Gobierno por muchos años a partir de 1993. Ese mismo año yo fui contratado por CNN en Español para ser su corresponsal en la Casa Blanca. Para ese entonces yo ya llevaba seis años, desde 1987, fungiendo a tiempo completo como corresponsal en la Casa Blanca de LA TRIBUNA y de HRN. Tres años después, en 1996, la empresa TIME Warner y CNN se fusionaron y Jay y yo nos convertimos en compañeros periodistas del mismo consorcio informativo. Curiosamente, el asiento de la Revista Time en la sala de prensa estaba junto adonde yo me sentaba seguidamente así que durante muchos años y en numerosísimas ocasiones, con Jay sentado a mi lado, cubrimos juntos toda una serie de ruedas de prensa del portavoz presidencial así como de funcionarios de la administración Clinton y del mismo presidente de la nación.

Carney, además de cubrir la Casa Blanca, aparecía seguidamente como analista político en programas de la CNN y de otras cadenas televisivas, donde se le conocía como un excelente analista, siempre ponderado y bien informado. Más tarde en el 2003 se le nombró subjefe del buró de la Revista Time en Washington y dos años después, como jefe del buró. Para entonces él seguía apareciendo seguidamente en muchos canales de televisión y, en forma continua en el programa noticioso de George Stephanopolous en la cadena ABC. Fue en el 2008, que el vicepresidente Joe Biden le pidió a Jay que fuese su jefe de comunicaciones y asesor, cargo que desempeñó por más de dos años, hasta ser seleccionado como secretario de prensa del presidente Obama.

Jay está casado con otra periodista y buena amiga, Claire Shipman, que cubrió la Casa Blanca para CNN por muchos años hasta que fue contratada por la cadena ABC. La pareja tiene dos hijos y reside en Washington.

A partir de ahora, le tocará a Carney manejar temas polémicos, entre ellos la postura de la Casa Blanca en cuanto al caso de Egipto. Conociéndolo bien, apuesto que Carney hará una buena faena como portavoz presidencial. Tiene toda la experiencia del mundo pues cubrió la Casa Blanca por muchos años además de haber trabajado dos años en la Casa de Gobierno al lado de Joe Biden. Ahora le toca a Carney la difícil tarea de hablar a nombre del presidente y de su gobierno.
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