Elisabeth Bumiller

New York Times Congressional reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg will be moving to cover the White House, filling the paper's last vacancy on that beat. Stolberg will be taking the spot currently held by Elisabeth Bumiller, who is scheduled to go out on book leave in June to spend a year writing a biography of Condoleezza Rice.

"I’m honored the Times thought of me," Stolberg said by phone April 6. "I think I have big shoes to fill."

Earlier this year, White House reporter Richard Stevenson was promoted to deputy Washington bureau chief. His seat was filled by Jim Rutenberg. Times sources said it remains undecided if the Washington bureau will bring in anyone to fill Stolberg's old position. Currently, David Kirkpatrick and Carl Hulse cover Congress. --Gabriel Sherman

The New York Times is looking for a reporter to move to the White House beat, as the paper continues restoring its depleted Washington bureau. A memo went out to the newsroom this morning announcing the opening and referring interested applicants to the Times' internal newsletter.

The beat has traditionally been shared by three reporters, but the Times has found itself needing to fill two of slots this year. In January, reporter Dick Stevenson was promoted to deputy bureau chief, and Elisabeth Bumiller is scheduled to go away on book leave in June. Jim Rutenberg, currently City Hall bureau chief in New York, has been tapped to take over one of the White House spots this spring.

Bumiler's book project, a biography of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, will also cause reshuffling on the State Department beat. Executive editor Bill Keller has told current correspondent Steven Weisman, Bumiller's husband, to vacade the diplomatic beat to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. According to Times sources, Helene Cooper, currently an assistant editor on the Times' editorial board, will transfer back to the news pages this summer to take over for Weisman. Cooper was an assistant D.C. bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal before coming to the Times. --Gabriel Sherman

New York Times White House correspondent Elisabeth Bumiller is close to signing a deal with Random H  read more »