▁that ▁had ▁been ▁disc ount ed ▁by ▁Bush ' s ▁own ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Def ense , ▁Robert ▁G ates , ▁and ▁quoted ▁with ▁G ates ' ▁own ▁words : ▁" We ▁need ▁to ▁figure ▁out ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁develop ▁some ▁le verage ▁... ▁and ▁then ▁sit ▁down ▁and ▁talk ... if ▁there ▁is ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁discussion , ▁then ▁they ▁need ▁something , ▁too . ▁We ▁can ' t ▁go ▁to ▁a ▁discussion ▁and ▁be ▁completely ▁the ▁dem ander , ▁with ▁them ▁not ▁feeling ▁that ▁they ▁need ▁anything ▁from ▁us ." ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁widely ▁bl amed ▁by ▁news ▁media ▁execut ives ▁for ▁" hold ing ▁host age " ▁rep or ters , ▁while ▁Ob ama ▁and ▁Hill ary ▁Cl inton ▁met ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁after ▁a ▁heavily ▁cont ested ▁Democratic ▁primary ▁season . ▁He ▁counter ed ▁back , ▁" It ▁wasn ' t ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁dece ive ▁in ▁any ▁way ▁... ▁It ▁was ▁just ▁private ▁meet ings ." ▁ ▁White ▁House ▁Press ▁Secretary , ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁▁ ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁by ▁the ▁Ob ama ▁transition ▁team ▁that ▁Gib bs ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁Press ▁Secretary ▁for ▁the ▁Ob ama ▁administration . ▁He ▁assumed ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁press ▁secretary ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁and ▁gave ▁his ▁first ▁official ▁brief ing ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁The ▁Hill