Gibbs Isn't Afraid to Throw Verbal Punches

Robert Gibbs has shown he’s not afraid to skewer the likes of Rush Limbaugh and cable-TV talking heads in his White House press briefings, but he also knows when the best tactic is standing aside. “If your enemies are fighting themselves, then don’t get in the way,” he tells Sam Youngman in the Hill, alluding to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.

That doesn’t mean that the press secretary doesn’t relish a good verbal joust: He made waves recently by singling out and tearing down those who have openly criticized Obama. Gibbs challenged CNBC commentator Rick Santelli’s grasp of the facts (and his composure) and questioned Mad Money host Jim Cramer’s knowledge of the markets. (More Robert Gibbs stories.)