Sean Spicer, the top spokesman for the Republican National Committee, bid farewell Tuesday to his Democratic counterpart with well wishes and a parting shot.
Mo Elleithee, the communications director for the Democratic National Committee, had announced that he is stepping down and heading to Georgetown University to be executive director of the school’s Institute of Politics and Public Service.
“While Mo and I clearly don’t align ideologically or politically, he is a highly effective communicator and phenomenal individual,” Spicer said in a statement. “As good as he is, he clearly saw the struggles [Democratic presidential candidate] Hillary Clinton faces only getting worse.”
Spicer called Elleithee “a friend” in the statement.
In a blog post on the publishing website Medium, Elleithee explained his reason for leaving the DNC for Georgetown. He said Republicans and Democrats have “lost sight” of how to be “fierce partisans and still be productive.”
“It’s time to bring new voices into the process to help us figure it out,” he wrote. “That’s what our new institute is going to try to do. I hope you’ll join us.”
