Reggie Love Is Barack Obama's Gatekeeper, Friend

Aug. 19, 2008 — -- Every president, and every presidential candidate, has one -- a "body man," or personal assistant.

And Barack Obama? Well, he has Reggie Love, a former Duke University varsity basketball and football player. Though the two have become very close since Love took on the role of body man in January, to Love, defining exactly what he does can be difficult.

"It definitely makes for interesting conversations when you meet someone and they're like, 'What do you do?' I'm like, 'Well, I travel around with this guy all day. He's running for president,'" Love told "Good Morning America."

It is perhaps easier to define Love's job by what he carries with him when he travels with the Democratic presidential hopeful. In his bag is an array of small, everyday items, such as a toothbrush, mouthwash, cough drops, aspirin and wet naps.

Basically, Love has to be there to tend to all of Obama's personal needs.

And as an athlete himself, one of Obama's recurring personal needs is to play basketball against solid competition.

"Reggie is the best athlete that I know," Obama said in an interview with "Good Morning America." The senator also claims that he always does his best to be on Love's team, rather than play against him.

"Well, look, I mean, Reggie is 20 years younger than me," he said. "I cannot be guarding Reggie."

Love became Obama's personal aide just one year after he was hired in January 2007. Since then, Love has become so trusted that he acts as a gatekeeper for anyone who is trying to get information to Obama.

When former Sen. John Edwards decided to drop out of the Democratic presidential race earlier this year, his staff contacted Love first. When actress Scarlett Johansson wanted to throw her support to Obama, she e-mailed Love.

He is even trusted to load Obama's iPod with more recent hits than Obama's usual Aretha Franklin and John Coltrane, so that he is, as Obama put it, "not a complete fuddy-duddy."

The two have become so close that, if he makes it to the White House, Obama said he would like to take Love with him.

"You know, if Reggie wants to stay involved in my work, then I will keep him as long as I can. He is like a little brother to me."