'Body man' Love lost for Obama

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Reggie Love, the personal aide always hovering within yards of President Barack Obama, will leave his boss's side at the end of the year, a source familiar with his plans said on Thursday.

Love, a towering six-foot-four former college basketball player, is constantly with Obama, in the White House, on his Marine One helicopter or as the president shakes hands on a ropeline at campaign events.

Known as a ‘body man,’ Love, 30, is a cross between a personal valet and constant companion for Obama, is often asked for a pen so the president can sign T-shirts of supporters and acts as a partner on the basketball court.

Love's future plans were unclear. His departure was first reported by the Washington Post.

He joined Obama as an assistant during his short Senate career and was constantly at his side during his barnstorming 2008 presidential campaigns against Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain.

Love, an approachable former Duke University basketball player, will become the latest member of Obama's notoriously difficult to penetrate inner circle to leave the White House ahead of the 2012 reelection campaign.

Back in 2010, before he got his iPad, Obama was asked by a New York Times reporter whether he had one of the wildly popular Apple devices and quipped: "I have an iReggie, who has my books, my newspapers, my music all in one place."

Robert Gibbs, Obama's first White House press secretary and one of his earliest aides left earlier this year and now appears on television to support his former boss as a surrogate.

David Axelrod, Obama's political guru, also left a senior White House post and is back in Chicago working on the president's reelection bid next year.

The White House dismissed rumors of staff disquiet in the White House earlier this week, when it emerged that Chief of Staff Bill Daley, who only came on board in January, had handed off some of his duties.

Obama confidant Pete Rouse will now take over some day-to-day running of White House affairs, while Daley concentrates on outreach to people outside the administration.