There is quite a bit of buzz over Robert Gibbs’s retort to former Vice President Cheney’s criticism of the administration. Gibbs sniped, “I guess Rush Limbaugh was busy. So they trotted out the next most popular member of the Republican cabal.”

I’ll leave aside the merits of the discussion. (Has the Obama administration made us less safe — or is he only posturing while keeping in place 90% of the Bush-era War on Terror policies?) Gibbs’s entire approach and tone is truly unprecedented. He takes on talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, calls out business reporters by name, and engages in school-yard taunts with the former Vice President of the United States. For him, and one presumes the president too, this is all par for the course. In this administration the White House exhibits no greater level of decorum, respect, or class than a city council campaign in Chicago.

Gibbs does not defend White House policies on their merits. Reporters’ substantive requests for simple information (e.g. the number of ethics waivers) are ignored. Gibbs can’t manage to get through a simple line of questioning by Jake Tapper. But insults, ad hominem attacks, and snotty one-liners are all in fashion. This is an administration of many firsts. We have had some noteworthy (good and bad) press secretaries over various administrations, but we have never had one who was quite in Gibbs’s league.