Obama ‘body man’ to leave White House

Reggie Love, the former Duke University basketball player who became President Obama’s close confidant and personal assistant, will leave the White House by the end of the year, according to The Washington Post.

Love, who has served as the president’s “body man” since the 2008 campaign, worked in Obama’s Senate office and has been a visible presence alongside the president as he travels the nation — and the world. But Love’s departure is the latest in a series of exits for longtime White House staff as the president ramps up for the 2012 campaign.

{mosads}Policy advisers Dana Singiser and Melody Barnes both announced their departures last month, while Deputy Communications Director Jen Psaki signaled her exit in September. 

Press secretary Robert Gibbs and senior adviser David Axelrod also left the White House earlier this year.

But few have had as close access to Obama as Love, who keeps the president’s schedule and is responsible for carrying his papers and personal effects. The pair play basketball frequently, and Obama has said that they talk often of sports and music.

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“I have an iReggie, who has my books, my newspapers, my music, all in one place,” Obama told The Associated Press last year.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and it is unknown what Love plans to do upon leaving the White House.