Lockhart's Last Day

White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart, known as a staunch defender of the president, gave his final White House press conference Friday.

President Clinton, who crashed Lockhart's generally lighthearted last briefing, got a laugh from the press corps when he explained Lockhart was leaving because, "I was no longer in enough trouble to make it interesting for him."

Lockhart got the job in mid-1998, midway through the Monica Lewinsky scandal, after the popular Mike McCurry resigned. President Clinton liked him because of his aggressive defense - and often barbed comments - as a Democratic spokesman during the 1996 campaign. Lockhart brought that style to his job as press secretary.

"I know that I have a different perspective than the members of the press corps," said Mr. Clinton, "but I don't believe I have ever seen anybody do this job better."

Earlier Friday on the Early Show, CBS News White House Correspondent Bill Plante spoke with Lockhart about his experience as Mr. Clinton's press liaison.

"First and foremost you work for the president, you speak for the government. But you can't survive if you don't also have some allegiance to the press. So it's awkward at times - it means someone is always mad at you," he said. "The worst thing you can do is not to tell the truth, because you will eventually be found out and you'll have no credibility with the press, and you'll be useless to the president."

But Lockhart also said he felt it was important, on occasion, not to tell the whole truth.

"There are times when you have information that could put people's lives at risk. We had situations where we knew the bombers were on their way to Iraq, some of the things that were going on in Kosovo and anything I said could have tipped off the enemy," he said.

Lockhart said he made his share of mistakes during his tenure, like the day he made an offhand comment about possible biotech industry regulation, which sent stocks in that sector plunging.

Like the president, Lockhart says he'll miss the job, and especially all that goes with it. "I don't think I'll ever have the opportunity to be right in the middle of all this, to see everything up close. That's what I'll miss the most."

Lockhart's not sure what he's doing next; there is talk of him hitting the high-priced speaking circuit. He shouldn't have any problem finding work - these days, even press secretaries have become celebrities.