White House press area gets rare visitor: Obama

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House press room, crammed with journalists and short on desks, got a rare visit from a very newsworthy guest on Thursday -- President Barack Obama.

The president, who moved into the executive mansion after his inauguration on Tuesday, sauntered down to the reporters' quarters to say hello and comment on Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' first performance at the White House podium earlier in the day.

"I'm very proud of him," Obama said. "He got a fist bump from me."

No fist bumps for the reporters, but the president did shake hands and promised to work on learning people's names.

Then he took a tour of the facilities, pronouncing them a bit cramped and commenting on the lack of healthy snacks in the vending machines.

Obama declined to answer one reporter who questioned him about a Defense Department nominee but promised to include the press in his commitment to transparency.

"I just wanted to say hello to everybody," Obama said. "We will try to have a relationship that is respectful and where you guys feel like you're actually getting answers."

The president got in a touchy question of his own when he asked how desk and office space was allocated among news organizations -- a process that often requires delicate negotiations.

"George Mitchell couldn't handle this, sir" one journalist replied.

Obama named Mitchell on Thursday to be his special envoy to the Middle East.

(Editing by Xavier Briand)