Carol Browner Leaving White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House climate change adviser Carol Browner will step down in coming weeks, Obama administration sources said on Monday.

Browner's departure is the latest in a number of staff changes at the While House after President Barack Obama completed the first two years of his presidency.

Obama entered the White House with an ambitious climate change agenda but has been unable to advance legislation that he campaigned on in 2008 or a cap and trade policy to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

A senior administration official said Browner, White House coordinator of energy and climate policy, would will stay on as long as necessary to ensure an orderly transition of the office.

"Carol is confident that the mission of her office will remain critical to the president and she is pleased with what will be in the State of the Union tomorrow and in the budget on clean energy," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"She is proud of the administration's accomplishments -- from the historic investments in clean energy included in the Recovery Act to the national policy on vehicle efficiency that will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil and lower consumers' prices at the pump," the official said.

Browner ran the Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton administration.

Obama has a new chief of staff, several new policy advisers and was expected to soon pick a new spokesman to replace Robert Gibbs who has announced plans to depart soon to work as an adviser to Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.

(Reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[brokenlink]

06:06 PM on 01/27/2011

Good by Carol Browner. January, 2001, you set radiation leakage compliance for Yucca Mountain National Nuclear Waste Storage Facility to ridiculously low levels to span 10,000 years. Your strategy ended the quest for national long term nuclear waste storage. Given appropriate monitoring and proactive management, the facility at Yucca would have served the USA very well. Imagine, less than 100 years from horse powered wagons to walking on the moon. Yet you would bet against, over a 1000 years, technological advances would assure hazardous waste at Yucca Mountain could have been maintained safely. The wide use of coal fired power plants was, to a large degree, due to your irrational position against a cleaner technology.

[lendtolease]

09:26 PM on 01/25/2011

Another rat jumping off the sinking ship. Although I must admit, she's a total loon. Bye bye Miss "No more outdoor grills"!

[danielnedelcu]

04:03 PM on 01/25/2011

i wonder what scared her? i wonder if it has anything to do with a republican congress looking 'under the table' and what they'll find out.

[LibAntinomies]

04:09 PM on 01/25/2011

You betcha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rasheed Kalifani Knowles]

03:33 PM on 01/25/2011

Yes, we 'can't' ?

[media4me]

03:29 PM on 01/25/2011

While on your way out....can you rearrange a couple of chairs?

[nolabear]

03:29 PM on 01/25/2011

Most unintentionally (?) creepy photo ever. Can you sue over bad photoshopping in a supposed news story?

[vtfan1957]

03:24 PM on 01/25/2011

She not leaving, she is running from office. Carol doesn't want to be called up to congress to testify in front of Mr. Issa. The corruption behind the scenes involving Cap and Tax is deep.

[scat]

03:17 PM on 01/25/2011

they must have gotten tired of her keep telling them to turn of the lights.

My energy advisor, wife, does that all the time.

[chris mead]

04:32 AM on 01/26/2011

how about turning off all the energy to your big screen tvs, microwaves, beer fridges etc. because, my friend, that's where we're heading when it all turns nasty - as is happening now. too late, too late. the super consumers of the earth have just gone to far. xx

[scat]

11:28 AM on 01/27/2011

you can have the TVs, microwaves. However, the beer fridge? That is when my 2nd amendment right will beat your 1st amendment right.

[Roach Coach]

03:11 PM on 01/25/2011

Like rats abandoning a ship, looks like nobody wants to be in Obamas' administration these days.

[Marvin Hadley Jr]

02:30 PM on 01/25/2011

thanks goodness she is leaving. got nothing done. was a terrible administration spokesperson during the oil spill crisis. would only have misinformed the president, too. i wish her good luck just the same, eh

[ttopaster]

01:45 PM on 01/25/2011

wasn't this another person's head, instead of obama's, about 15 minutes ago???? who is doing the bad photoshopping at HP?

[chris mead]

04:36 AM on 01/26/2011

just wait my friend until all the electricity goes off and the lights go out. got a vegie garden in the yard to feed your family? don't get rid of the barbeque, you might need it. things are becoming as bad as your worst nightmare - and then there's the weather ..... wait and see xx

[ttopaster]

11:52 AM on 01/26/2011

let's not forget the dying bees and birds and crabs and...we're f&@*

[Travis M]

01:29 PM on 01/25/2011

Is it just me or does it look like the Prez is doing something sneaky behind Carol Browner? Hate to think that he could.. be.. doing.. back.. there..

[joetherealist]

02:06 PM on 01/25/2011

Perhaps he noticed the very low cut jacket she is wearing

[relians]

02:25 PM on 01/25/2011

looks more like he's checking the baggage compartment.

[SmolderingRuin]

03:14 AM on 01/26/2011

He's adjusting her bustier.

[kriskrinkel]

01:02 PM on 01/25/2011

rats jumping off the sinking ship..love it

[snowballinhell]

01:13 PM on 01/25/2011

You mean being pushed off. Did you see the picture?

[Lost Rights]

12:38 PM on 01/25/2011

Obama looks like Zaphod Beeblebrox's silent head. (Hitchikers Guide)

[KarlaElisa]

12:58 PM on 01/25/2011

The world is a much safer place if you bring your own towel.

[relians]

02:26 PM on 01/25/2011

speaking of towels, what's on that towel that all the football players have been sniffing lately?

[NourCA]

12:34 PM on 01/25/2011

Great picture for this story. Looks like Obama is already missing her energy.