Joaquin: I'll put him on tsa rules for non prescription drugs "It's really incumbent on the president to go speak directly to the American people about what's at stake for this country," said former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on NBC's "Today" show. Gibbs, formerly one of Obama's most influential advisers, said the request for congressional authorization is "an enormous political gamble" for Obama. Most Americans oppose intervention or are very skeptical of it, according to opinion polls.