CNN

As long as he knows how secure/insecure the device is (and I am sure that he is smart enough to figure that out), he should be fine.

I'm sure as soon as Bush got the "football", he probably would have texted: "Dude, I got it! And the nuclear codes are AHSSDJFEUHF and JHFD4389JHSDF!"

Obama is more clever than that.

HE ASKS the PEOPLE TO TIGHTEN their BELTS AND MAKE SACRIFICES but whiny wont give up his precious blackberry

The Secret Service is responcible for his physical security and safety. Not the safety of his communications, files, etc. So what is the Secret Service worried about if not using the signal for targeting.

He needs to give it up, it can only be used against him. He could type hello to someone and the media will find a way to make it look like he said Hell from Obama to someone who is bitter.

He will be the most scrutinized president in the history of america.

how would he check his facebook page if they took it away???

cbenji: GPS isn't something you can just disable. It doesn't work the same way as GPS in cars where you just press a button and turn it off. If you have a cell phone that has no explicit GPS function, your cell phone company can still use a form of GPS to keep track of your exact location. If your cell phone is getting reception, then your cell phone's location is being revealed to your cell phone company.

You ever watched Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay? Kumar makes a phone call and Harold throws his phone away. It's not like the cell phone had an active "Press this button to turn on GPS" function. If your cell phone has reception at all, your location is being tracked.

So they can't just "turn GPS off." If they could, don't you think they would have just done that?

Hooray for Obama!!! The technology is there to keep his Blackberry safe.....just do it!!

Black Berry Smack Berry.... he is dammed if he do and dammed if he doesn't. Can't please everybody.. Good that he wants to stay grounded though. That says alot about his up bringing... Yea, Barak... You go boy!!!!

Obama is not concerned about the Nations security .

Alright guys, we are out baby!! Time to get this party started!!

Good luck on your day and we'll see what happens...

@ Empty suit .... Would you rather have a president that says "um" while he searches for the right word to use, or a president that can't pronounce foreign leaders' names, let alone English words like "misunderestimate?" Get a grip, dude.

Welcome to the 21st century GOP!! get over it-technology is here to stay – just like indoor plumbing!

He talks about SACRIFICE for the people ... and BELT tightening , well serve by example you whiny crybaby give it UP

I can't believe that a country with some of the best IT people in the world can't find a way to secure his blackberry – even if it took creating a 512-bit instead of the standard 128-bit algorithm.

What is the point of moving into the future, with all the new things yet to be invented/developed, if heads of countries are restricted to continuing to use the horse-and-buggy methods?

my president is black!!!!!.....hurrray

I think there has to be a way that he can keep it, even if it's in the hands of an aide or something. Think of it like a CEO that has a secretary write all of their emails and answer all of their calls, and on occasion might send out an email personally.

This was a guy that pretty much revolved around the web. Eventually it's going to be even more difficult to remove yourself from it.

Why are so many of you so hateful about this? Sure are a lot of sore losers out there!!!

I think Obama could be trusted not to divulge state secrets on his Blackberry.

Do any of you know what rights a President gives up when he's in office? It's like being in prison, except the food is better.
1. He can't drive himself.
2. He can't go to the bathroom by himself.
3. When he's in the Oval Office, someone locks him in. The Oval Office is actually a jail cell.

Giving up your blackberry should be a piece of cake compared to that.

How else is he gonna gain 3 inches or get free viagra?

It's not called a "crackberry" for nothing. Just ask anyone who uses one, if they would give it up. I think NOT!!!

Because a Blackberry and all "wireless" devices use a wireless signal, it may be possible for that signal to be ID'd for his device and then tracked and used for weapon targeting. I don't know this for a fact but it seems plausable as the reason why the Secret Service wants it gone.

I always find it funny that when CNN writes an article about a total non-issue, as long as it involves Obama, all the bitter right-wing drones come on here and actually try and make something negative out of it.

"Maybe he has something to hide"?

Seriously?

Why are your ward attendants letting you psychos access a computer? You all make me sick.

I believe he should keep his blackberry!! We need change, we need a president who is in touch and in touch with REALITY, this is the future!!
He is elected for the people by the people let him do his job, CHANGE! Maybe this should be standard issue for all future presidents...why not?
You go Obama god bless you! Stand up for change start with your freedom to have a blackberry!!
The land of the free and the home of the brave!

I guess part of conservative definition is to resist anything that may be different or a risky move to try and advance. People, 75% of office workers have blackberry's. The PE is not asking to keep it for secret military notes or confidential correspondence. He's trying to stay in touch with the world as he travels. Which, as president, he will be doing a lot.

Basically, it's not about following the "rules." It's about progression to keep up with an ever changing world. Wouldn't we want our president to have every means of connection possible!?

He needs to lose the blackberry ; he talks about SACRIFICE AND BELT TIGHTENING

well serve by example you whiner cry baby, guess that is too much too ask

The administration should contract RIMM to make a super-secure blackberry, just like they've contracted with Cadillac to create a tank/limo. I don't see how it's any different.

Now that is just plain sad. Here we are invading other countries under the guise of defending our way of life but the President can't send email or use a blackberry.

As long as president Obama don't use his Blackberry for goverment use. or The CIA can use USVT coding for E-mail

First of all, the fact that some people are getting up in arms about this either way ("GROW UP OBAMA I H8 U DEMOCRATZ!!111" "SECRET SERVICE IS MEAN LET HIM KEEP IT!!111") is hilarious.

Second, has anyone heard these comments in context? The fact that he said you would have to "pry it" away from him makes it seem like he was joking. I'm sure he's not happy about giving it up, but I doubt he's going to raise a huge fuss over it.

Proud American said "I hear he need to keep the Blackberry so he can keep up with Idiot republicans"
Yet another brilliant contribution by a child to add to the discussion. Hey, PA, why don't you call upstairs to your mom, have her fix you some pizza puffs or something, and let the adults talk a bit.

Sam – "thats the problem with technology, people get too addicited and its rediculous"

What's ridiculous is you and 60% of the posters that don't know how to spell, use proper grammar, or proper sentence structure. When you tend to read and write at a 10th grade level, you tend to think and write at a 10th grade level. Hence, your dumb comment.

Mike Dallas January 8th, 2009 10:24 am ET

Those surrounding the next President should be encouraging the use of electronic communication not "dumbing down" the PE by taking the same device that keeps him connected to everyday folks.
/
/
I'm curious...just what everyday folks is the incoming president (or any past president for that matter) going to be connected to?
/
There's probably not much he can keep up with on his blackberry that he can't keep up with through other means.

If Obama wants to keep the black berry so what. What can he say on the black berry that the Secret Service needs to know.. They are worried about controlling his talking with other people,and by keeping the black berry they will not have acess to any of his news unless published. Trying to screen is everyday black berry will be a problem. How much time will he spend on it anyway. He will be busy doing other things but when he is asked a questions, email the answer. Let the black berry stay. Text your wife or kids while you are away. Go Obama fight for the black berry.

I served in the White House Communications Agency during the LBJ years and it was dificult to maintain secure communications even without the e-mail capabilities of today.
However, I believe WHCA, the Secret Service and president elect Obama will come up with a solution to the problem that will satrisfy all parties to achieve the integrity of the presidential communications.

Seriously, who cares. Its a blackberry – whoop di doo

For pity sakes, let Barack have his blackberry. It is a very necessary personal item!!!!!!!!!!

@ Obama-mama, first of all "heirs" are people who inherit your money when you die. Perhaps you meant "he does not put on airs" which would mean a facade. You can go to dictionary.com if you don't understand some of the words I use.
Second, I have been in the IT business for 20 years and for all you young hip people who think that Obama's use of a blackberry is cool, these devices can be easily compromised and given his position, would be a major security risk.

ga. January 8th, 2009 11:24 am ET

this has become a necessary tool in most everyone's life, he should be able to keep it, make it hacker proof.
------------------–
There's no such thing as hacker proof. China and Russia are hacking into our governement computers, as we speak, and they have been doing so, ever since Al Gore invented the internet!

First cigarettes, now his blackberry, how many more addictions does this man have. Oops, basketball too.

What a bunch of crap. He always looks for a way to cheat.
God help this country.

Barack is a cool guy people that don't like him, are COLD

To Sweetie: "Humas" Really?

The security concerns raised by the Secret Service are more indicative of an change-adverse organization than a legitimate risk. The military uses blackberries and email on a daily basis as do the vast majority of the world's most powerful business people (who are probably using both to convey more valuable information than anything included in Obama's casual conversations).

The fear that the handset can be used as a locator to target the president displays a complete lack of technological understanding. If that is a real fear, give the president a new device each day. It's the device's unique identifier on the network that allows tracking and not the email address that is being fowarded to it, particularly if you are forwarding through a secure email system.

Moreover, we are talking about the head of one of the most technologically advanced intelligence services on earth. If it doesn't have the technological capability to let the president securely use a blackberry or email, how on earth can it be effective in today's high tech environment?

Actually, 'The Patriot', it's not that easy. What breaks the Air Force ONE analogy, is that the traveling path of the Pres cannot be monitored safely enough. If a rogue plane or missle aims for the Pres in AF ONE, it will be tracked and intercepted. The public Internet/mobile phone networks are not so "monitorable". The Pres' calls and data transfers can be intercepted without anyone noticing. That is just the state of the digital highway as it currently stands. Yes, his phone can be enhanced... but it will still need to use the same highway that entire world has access to. And, of course, it must be stated... if someone can develop a better security technology... someone else can hack it. And, lucky for the hacker, it's physically available to them wherever they are.

Just the kind of reaction I'd expect from an egocentric, ego maniac like Obama. He puts his own concerns ahead of the security of the White House and the government. I've worked in IT for over 15 years...there is no way to secure a connection to the Internet 100%.

Why not if they can keep it secure? Whats with the personal attacks and name calling from republicans? We don't have any election till 2010.

Sweetie........
GROW UP

Why not let him keep his blackberry? He's an intelligent man, and won't abuse his use of it by sending messages he knows shouldn't be sent. As far as ecurity, give me a break!! It's funny to see people say "I don't understand the problem, I could give it up." Yeah right!

Obama Is acting like a kid and needs to grow up a little.....drop the phone or drop the Job

Some of you people are so retarted I can't believe we put up with you.
The man wants a line to the real world and not just a bunch of yes men around him, and you people are making snide comments about it. get a life or better yet go join hamas getting their butt kicked for being stupid. all they have to do is have all communications on the frequency go to a communication station to change it over to a coded feq. and sent to a high level BB. The man isn't even in office yet, has been working on fixxing issues he never created that are still the problems of the current pres. and idiots want to put him down. I'll say it again... retarts.

@Julio Vasquez January 8th, 2009 10:50 am ET

If it can be hacked – it can be tracked.

It is not that he may be texting away state secrets, but that the location of POTUS is a state secret. It is not worth the risk.

******************************
Only Cheney needed to hide in an "undisclosed location". For the most part, the president's whereabout can be and is general knowledge.

If there is a need for him to be somewhere undisclosed, don't bring the thing with him, or turn it off, whatever.

But if it makes the guy's day to get a text message from one of his kids, I am all for his having the same priviledge the rest of us do. Just don't use it for state secrets.

Bush is out but were now out of luck....Were Screwed..!

How else is he, uh, to know what to say, uh, and do, uh, if he doesn't get , uh, instructions via his, uh, blackberry ??

Carlo thinks that people have to agree with Obama on every single little issue including use of his blackberry or else they are anti-Obama. Gee, so you think not a single one of the 66 million people who voted him could hold the opinion that Obama should just listen to the Secret Service? Wow. Ignorance knows no bounds.

Cell phones communicate by a process called "triangulation" in which several towers that detect the users signal determine which geographical "cell" the user is in and then the communications server uses that info to choose the best tower(s) for that user's access. So, the physical location of that user is know at all times. This is not a political, criminal, or personal issue at all. Its purely a security measure to keep Obama safe. Jeepers, calm down people!

One problem is that most cell phones/blackberries have GPS and can be easily tracked. I'm sure this is what the Secret Service is concerned about, not his calling Sasha and Malia.

thats funny i would not do that if i were him not very secure....

he's probably just using it to stay in contact with his wife and kids. disable the gps if that's an issue. why is this such a big deal? fix the economy. who cares about a blackberry?

@Don, NY,

If he's the president of the United States, he deserves the respect that one would expect to be give to the leader of a country. I realize that people dislike Bush, (I do myself), but I would never insult him to his face.

Everything from the brain goes to the blackberry. Without it, his brain is going to be dormant.

If the worry is the GPS capability making it possible to pinpoint Obama's location, I'm sure there must be a way to disable that particular feature. I'm also sure the man isn't stupid enough to email anything he wouldn't be comfortable seeing on the front page of the New York Times.

I think that Michelle Obama will keep Barack grounded trust me!

he cant keep up with his terrorist friends if the take it away, what a whiny baby, didnt he want this job or not, idiot

let's get the truth out!!!
CHENEY AND BUSH OUT
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As long as there is no security info what does it matter. Most people know where the president is most of the time anyway so the gps doesn't matter. When they don't, even if they discover it, if they wanted to do damage he would be somewhere else by the time they could get to him. I like the man and don't want him to become isolated. Let him be real.

This makes me really sick......

If our new PE is such a stupid cry baby so unaware of how Technology and National Security work…..

we are in bigger trouble then I feared for other reasons!

Or maybe he needs his blackberry to stay grounded because it is the only way Humas and other underworld leaders can get a hold of him!

Pathetic!

Give up his BlackBerry? How will he ever make a decision? He won't be able to check what the media or polls say!!!!! He will have to actually have to make a decision himself!!!!!! We are doomed!!

danbie, a sore loser?

Shut Up Haters!!!! Get Off This Site With Your Negative Views About The PE and Get Back To Work!!

better this than do like the GOP and act like a dingleberry

I like how everyone thinks hes a great president and nobody knows a thing about him. I agree Bush was terrible but dont put all your eggs in one basket for Obama yet.

I have an idea, why not give Blackberry devices to everyone with a staff over 10-20 people. This way, PE Obama could borrow their phones whenever he wanted..ok...that's lame!

How about this, why not purchase 5000 disposable phones that are hard to track...OK that's lame too

The white is set up to keep the president safe, but in the process it keeps him out of touch with the real world. Barack Obama is not the type to be controlled!

Good Luck Secret Service dude!
Dx

MikeH thinkd anyone who doesn't agree with Obama about his Blackberry must be anti-Obama. That's pure ignorance.

Wow–The anti-Obama crowd really went nuts on the comments here. Possibly, they do not know what a Blackberry is?

He's running the country like a Fortune 500 CEO and doesn't want to 'downgrade' his communication. How blastphemous!!!

Note to Obama – People aren't standing up when you enter a room for you – it's your office. Remember that and maybe you can have an easier time stayijng grounded.

Also – you begged and pleaded for this job – quit complaining and get to work – we don't pay you to sit around playing with your Blackberry. – Maybe that too will help you stay grounded.

Thanks for your insight, js. But I don't see why you think it's okay to just brush aside security matters like they don't matter, after you laid out good reasons why they do matter. Of course it's possible that legal factors are involved, but that doesn't mean the security matters don't exist.

And your argument about other people with 200+ or 2000+ people working under them all having email isn't convincing. Executives have email because it's convenient, fast, and because they have gotten used to it. Not because it is necessary. Phones still work. Obama can use that.

The POTUS is not like other executives working in the private sector. He has special security protocols to follow, and comparing the POTUS to private execs is faulty.

While I would also want to keep my BlackBerry to communicate, he also needs to realize that hackers are very savvy people, no matter how secure that data is there will always be a way to steal it.

Giving up e-mail just comes with the job.

The way to stay in touch with the "people", and the flow of everyday life, is to talk to"people" Technoogy is great, but has made us an isolated society.

BTW, so what if he has his Blackberry. I am sure he is not going to type out secret war plans on it.

Another way to stay in touch with the flow of life is through his family and friends.
Or he could just watch Oprah.

can anyone imagine a discussion about "can the president use a telephone" ... how was that handled in times past when the telephone first came out?

I think that it says a lot about Obama when you see all to other political people around him not willing to put their communications up for eternal documentation and accountability. It tells me that he doesn't have anything to hide and what a concept with the record of all recent POTUS.

They're going to have it pry it out of his cold dead hand.

Let The Man Keep It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just don't contact Monica Dude.

Allowing President-elect Obama the right to keep his Blackberry is another change that has been long in coming. If the Secret Service can't protect that from hackers, what else are they unable to secure? If our current President had stayed more in touch with the real world we may not be in the mess we're in now.

I enjoy video poker as much as the next guy.

why not let him play?

Let him have it just for receiving email.
He should not reply to any email.

Sam – "thats the problem with technology, people get too addicited and its rediculous"

What's ridiculous is you and 60% of the posters that don't know how to spell, use proper grammar, or proper sentence structure. And when you tend to read and write at a 10th grade reading level, you tend to think and write at a 10th grade reading level. Hence, your dumb comment.

Have a nice day. Knowledge is Power.

He loves it, don't take his toy away.

And we love him–we're rooting for you Barack.

"look, it's the hardest thing about being president. How do you stay in touch with the flow of everyday life."

How does he know? He's not the president yet. I would think the hardest thing about being president for him is going to be to live up to all those empty promises he made to the American public.

I completely understand why he wants it. I am connected with my Blackberry also. However...I am afraid for him to have it unless there is someone who can arrange his differently in order to be secure. Can Linux be used on a Blackberry? There might be a hacker out there that could remedy this problem for him.

I don't see why he can't keep it. The NSA with all the Wizz they've got can't tell me they can't come up with a Black Berry ONE for a Modern president of the USA. We are Americans, we are innovators, this is the time we step up the game and take this technology thing serious or else the rest of the world is gonna past zoom past us. If we can make an Airforce One, A presidential Limo and the list of them, why not a Black Berry one? Why the Fear, our boys can haddle it and Obama can lead this nation to a greater hieght. Come on Boys, The CIA, NSA and Computer Nerds this is the time to show your juice. I am Proud to be in the USA , the greatest Nation on the planet Earth!!

Love or hate.....What is wrong with some of you people. Get a life and stop using this median as a tool for your prejudice. You can't even express an opinion on something as simple as a blackberry without the stupid Hamas junk injected in it Toorey, what planet are you from anyway?

I can not believe we are in the 21st century and some of you are still in the pre slavery era. Hating something you know nothing about and had no part in it. Ger Real! we are in a RECESSION! People are losing their businesses, their homes, their jobs. Recession is not a color, it's a tragedy for many, instead some are focusing on something as trivial as what color the President is. Get a Grip, who cares?

Seriously?

This is important because?

Is there NOT enough stuff going on in the world that we need to read about a mans cell phone or his daughters outfit for school...

This is no better than Perez Hilton CNN, NO BETTER at all.

All good points js – especially the one about the Blackberry becoming a continuous president locator. Security of the president is a big issue.

I'm with the new president elect. He needs to stay in touch. We're Americans, we can figure out a titanium fire wall to protect him. His blackberry list should be pre-approved, where only certain numbers can get through.

I WAS GOING TO SAY, HECK, NO WAY TO GIVE IT UP.

BUT AFTER READING SOME OF THESE COMMENTS,

IF IT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE, MR. PRESIDENT

YOU MIGHT WANT TO RECONSIDER. ABOVE ALL,

WE & YOUR FAMILY NEED YOU SAFE & SOUND.

Even though I did NOT vote for Obama, I do feel that this Country of ours should COME TOGETHER and support our New Chief-in-Command!! American's, we need to wake up and get REAL leaders in office, help turn this country around and get America back on track.
BTW, let him have his Blackberry, I am sure, as others have stated, he won't be sending out Top "Secret" info..... Give him a CHANCE!

I find all this outrage a little interesting considering how many other individuals out there receive highly confidential information on their blackberries and laptops. Lawyers, finance people, other government officials (like all of the WH staff), they all have blackberries that contain information that could be damaging.

Sounds like someone is affraid of CHANGE! Get over yourself Obama.

This story is a testament to the fact that this guy was in fact the best person to lead this country.....i've never heard of any other past president who felt a need to stay 'grounded'....I love this guy and frankly can't wait until he takes office.

I've not heard anything approaching a good reason for why giving up the Blackberry would be advisable. He would use it with full knowledge that his communications would be released one day. The Secret Service has managed to keep him safe to this point while he has been using it–in settings that make him much more vulnerable than most places he will go as president. I think the best thing is that the thing be as secure as it can be made–perhaps have two that he interchanges. If his usage of it were somewhat unpredictable perhaps that would make it safer. If he wasn't seen with it? If he uses it primarily to receive rather than to send? I don't know what all the concerns are, but I suspect for each one there are solutions that do not involve taking the Blackberry away altogether.

Obama is not a stupid man. If someone can articulate a persuasive reason for him to give the thing up entirely, I suspect he will. The problem is when the reasons for giving it up are outweighed in his mind by the reasons for keeping it. He'll do the right thing.

As POTUS there will be many "freedoms" that regular citizens enjoy that he won't be able to enjoy. That is just part of the job.

Besides who exactly will he be chatting with on his BlackBerry? Maybe a 100 people? Let's say 1,000 people to be on the safe side. This is not exactly keeping in touch with the people of the United States.

Why exactly would the President need a BlackBerry? Look behind the POTUS. See all those vans/suvs? all filled with comm equipment that is secure. It is not like he is isolated comm wise.

It it important for the POTUS to trust his security people. They are professionals in their field. If they advise no BlackBerries, I think Obama should take their advice.

People are really hateful in their communications on here. Would you be so hateful & rude if you were talking face to face with that person?

"They can have my Blackberry when they pry it out of my cold dead hands!"

The secret service better watch out if they try to take it- remember, Obama's tough and wiry!

Who cares?

He just needs something to do while he chain smokes outside the White House

If the Blackberry is going, why not also take away all his computers, phones and his pencils and pens? I think his amount of security restrictions are excessive.

You guys that won't give up your guns may understand "Just a tad" – probably not! we all have our vices and It would be like me not going to the cnn blogs and getting "my fix"

Although I believe the President Elect is much more intelligent with what his communication needs are – I'm sure he will be able to figure out a way to maintain his finger on the pulse and his security issues also

The rest of my "big meanies" just back off you are horrible!!

That's what I want in a President--COUNTRY FIRST-well that's why I didn't vote for him-It's OBAMA FIRST--Everyone has told him it's NOT in our Nations interest--HE DOESN"T CARE,HE SAID SO !!!

Sure, let's throw our 21st century president back into the 20th with other world leaders such as Putin who have never sent an email. Why would our government handicap Mr. Obama in such a way! He needs to have contact with his advisors and family and they with him. If he can't text "XOXO" to a daughter, he's at a real disadvantage. Being a parent these days means instant access both ways. Hopefully he doesn't give it up without a fight and the Secret Service can find some means of scrambling or obfuscating his address adequately.

Hang in there Barac!! You are so right. You will only get filtered American feelings if they have their way and before you know it, you will be like the rest of our elected officials–TRUTHFULLY UNINFORMED.

I agree with Obama. The President needs to have ways to stay in touch with mainstream America. Find a way for him to keep his Blackberry.

Bob

Oh please....the CEO's of major corps are hackable too and yet they have Blackberry's too. As long as Obama isn't using it to discuss items of national security, who cares?? He isn't whining – he wants to be able to text his friends and family

They should let him use it, only for personal use, not president-related stuff, so its use doesn't become a security breach. He could use a made-up name so only his family and friends know it's him. If some scumbag hacker finds it out, a new identity and device would be given to Mr. Obama and so on. Please weigh this suggestion, Secret Service, if you are reading this!

It's ok...there's still Crunchberries...

Oh man, I hope that this isn't an accurate representation of the current voters in this country. I truly weep for my future.

Thanks js, you answered my questions before I finished writing them.

POTUS Blackberry + Hi Tech bad guys + Triangulation = Direct hit and no more POTUS. . .

Give it up. We need you too much to take such an early risk on your life. There is too much work to do. There is another way to keep in touch with the commoners. But I gotta love his tenacity. The characteristic will come in handy. . .

A lot of strange posts here from the anti-Obama crowd.

I guess it's a stretch to find something negative to write about, that has any substance, concerning the use of a Blackberry .

Besides hacking his personal messages, (and presuming he won't send out any national secrets by Blackberry) what's the major security complaint that the Secret Service has? The article wasn't clear.

How does President-Select Obama compromise national security? Let me count the ways . . .

What an idiot – obviously the Secret Service are trying to keep him – the leader of our country safe. What a selfish selfish thing for him to do.

If they have managed to build a special ride for him, why not a special blackberry without in-built GPS.

js...my two cents worth....how many of us are President???? Thats the whole issue not what us common peasants will and can do. We can live a normal life cause we ain't in office! Get a clue!

Rules are rules- he should try to set an example for the country, and his children, by complying- instead he's proving the American attitude of "I'm entitled" and "The rules don't apply to me." If the Secret Service wants him to give up the Blackberry, they obviously have good reason. Hasn't his Twitter account been hacked before? It's for his own saftey, as well as the safety of the whole country! Great, he's not even in office yet and already rebelling.

If Obama wants to keep "in touch with the regular people", have his blackberry get in touch with MY blackberry. Think that's gonna happen????

how can you expect a leader of any country, much less this one, to function without email. In a time when the average person can't live without their computer or cell phone, you expect the president to do just that. it would seem they should be able to come up with a more secure encrypted version of the blackberry or simular device the president could use.

Toorey January 8th, 2009 11:41 am ET
Don't take away His direct link to HAMAS, please. How will He be able to operate without those advisors?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like you knew who HAMAS were before this past week.

All you thought you knew before this past Monday was that all Arabs and all Muslims are terrorists. And that you are scared to death of them. Because, as an uninformed Conservative coward, you'd rather hate than, lord forbid, educate yourself.

Stupid 'Country First' Bigot,

Dear REAL American.

Perhaps liberals multi-task better than conservatives.

I am a full-time employee, fulfilling a political internship and starting my own non-profit organization that helps connect children at home with children abroad – AND I STILL FIND TIME to read and comment on this ticker.

Spend less time accusing and more time doing.

If I hear one more conservative and the stupid comment about liberals living on the government dime I might smack the first person I see, lib or conservative!

Your message is stupid and old. Many liberals are spending their time working and earning degrees while conservatives like Joe the Domestic Violence Attacker, I mean Joe the Plumber is running around the world feeding his need for attention.

I would like some reports that list those who so called live on the government dime and their party affiliation and voting record so once and for all, these tired Reaganomic terms can die.

By the way, the banks and the auto industry are living on the government dime, two industries that are ran by white males, many conservative ones, so please stop with this silliness already so called real American who wrote this comment below.

I think Obama should give up the Blackberry, it will just be a tool for hacking and be a complete mess. I understand why he doesn't want to, I enjoy my iPhone so I can relate. And for the person who calls himself a real American while making up imaginary statistics regarding liberals, this YOUNG female minority liberal here, who works and has and several degrees, does not live on the government and is exactly why Republican lost the election.

Does this guy have an addictive personality – drugs, cigarettes, the blackberry.

@donna and he drags around his little sign to prove it.

Well said A Real American and Sara for America! You have taken your blinders off too ain't you? Feels good to see realistically doesn't it? I think so...have been for ten or so years now.

how about me make him write with a quill and ink as well. You can't tell me they can't come up with a super secure version for him.

With the way technology is today, there is no reason for President-elect Obama to give up something that has been a part of his every day life in regards to taking care of business.

It's amazing how Hollywood can show a President who has a cell phone and a Blackberry and yet nobody at Langley, Quantico or MIT can figure out a way to make sure that every elected official on the national level have secured connections.

Surely there has to be somebody out there with Microsoft security certification that can make this as easy as 1, 2, 3.

I agree, he should get to keep it. I dare someone to try and take my phone away... am I addicted to it? YEP! And because we live in the age of technology, I think he's entitled to keep something for himself to keep him envolved with the people. Makes me love him even more....

Leaving all the I love/hate the man aside, I see three issues here.

Two of them are security related. First is the obvious one that this is not even close to secure enough to handle presidential communications. Think not just what comes out but also what goes in to the handset. I'm sure the NSA folks could cook up a secure version of the handset and server code without too much work.

Second, to what degree does the handset become a continuous president locater? If you are trying to keep the president safe, and may want to set up decoys and the like. Having a full time continuous broadcast device that says "the pres is here" may not be quite what the Secret Service folks want.

But I think these are not the real issue and why the lawyers came up. With the interpretations by the supreme court over the last many years, the ability for the president to have a private communication that is recorded in any way is impossible. So the idea that Obama might have lots of casual recorded communications must give the presidential lawyers fits.

Notice that in articles the lawyers are not just saying get rid of the blackberry. They are saying get rid of casual email communications completely. One article said that the current president has to give up email.

This is a critical form of rapid communications, and my $.02 is that the lawyers need to lose this. being able to send and receive quick emails on any subject is too important to modern, technology accelerated life to give up.

To the people who say "I can live without out it, so can the president" I have one question. What percentage of the people who have more than 20 people reporting through them don't have some form of continuous access email? How about those with 2000 people? How many people are there in the executive branch???

the CIA or Secret Service cannot arrange for him to have a secure handheld web device that only receives internet updates and does not allow any type of text or email to come and go?

Let the man keep is Berry!

This is silly.

Mr. President-Elect, you need to accept the fact that one of your responsibilities is national security.

I'm afraid you will have to give up the Blackberry for the time being.

With all the perils in the world knowing the President has a Blackberry will not be what keeps you up at night.

Whether he needs it or not is irrelevant. His having it sends a powerful message to all that our leaders do not fear comunicating with our peolpe or visa versa. Keep it but rarely use it? Don't know, don't care – just keep it. It is a positive symbol of what is right with our system.

Ever since the Nixon tapes we have this knee-jerk reaction that it is somehow important for President's to never be documented for their own good. We elected the wrong guy if that's why he doesn't have one.

What a great incentive for RIM to do a better job of securing their product and having the greatest endorsement possible!

12 days till the end of the Bush administration.

Real American: You can spout off about how you repubs are the only ones who work and don't live off the government, but no matter how many times you say it, doesn't make it true. I've worked since I was 15 years old and never got a single hand out. But I do have a die hard republican uncle who has lived off the system for years.

Mr. President Elect:
You need to give it up. Sorry, some things you must do and some
people you have to listen too, at least some of the time when you are president and they are responsible for your safety. They have a nightmare job in trying to keep you safe. I have watched you in crowds and have said the last thing I would want to do is try to protect you, please give them a break and the people of the US who know there are reasons for concerns at all times. Maybe they can figure out something later to your satisfaction to keep you connected.
Thanks for listening.

So Blackberries have a built in GPS? So someone could track wherever Obama is at any moment?
so Blackberries can be readily hacked into? So someone could send fake messages from Obama's Blackberry?
Blackberries cannot be made supersecure?
This seems like a no-brainer to me.
Surely Obama also realizes that people knew what was going on in the world before Blackberries? Or not?

Most in the congress have a blackberry and use them on a daily basis. there is enough encryption and security to protect what would come out of and be sent to his blackberry. this is a man who is about change and not the status quo and isolationism.

Put it up throw it away my lord get a new one. People due it everyday and so can the president. He's no better than me or anyone else for that matter.

1) Are Obama supporters emailing Obama directly and is he reading their emails directly? If the answer is no, then having his Blackberry isn't going to help him keep in touch with the American people. Think about it, folks. It's just something for him to say that makes you go "awwwww." And reading the comments on here, it worked. People just took it and don't question HOW a Blackberry would keep the President in touch with the American people.

2) If you think they can make the Blackberry unhackable, you know nothing about hacking.

I seriously doubt he will type anything into his blackberry that could be considered a concern for national security. It is most likely a way to get in touch with various friends, have a little chat to relieve stress from well... being president. If Obama DOES use the blackberry to speak about sensitive state secrets, than I would view that as a breach of security, but that would have already been spoken of at length by secret service, Obama understands.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO PRY IT FROM MY DEAD COLD HANDS

I support the President. We can't live in fear every day. LIVE FREE OR DIE, Mr. President. Keep the BB.

Mr. Obama, you work for us now and all your correspondence, once you are in office, are subject to Freedom of Information rules – even correspondence made from your blackberry.

What a tempest in a teapot. It makes sense that he needs to give it up (it has a GPS, any Blackberry employee would be able to tell exactly where he is at any moment), but him expressing regret about that is hardly him being petulant. I'd have a hard time giving up my iPhone, and I might grouse a bit about it. Crikey people, there are more important things to worry about.

Why is this even an issue?

Let him keep it. He is about to become President of the USA in 12 days, he's not a teenager. Another slow newsday ....

Let's hope he does a better job of keeping his emails than Bush did. I'd love to see what he is writing years from now

With all the technology out there, I find it hard to believe that something can't be done so this man can stay in touch with the outside world. History tells us that this is a very lonely job and to keep his sanity and his touch with everyday life is a must. I agree with him and I hope he wins. It's not like he's going to give away national security secrets on the thing. He's a lot smarter than tha. It's his way of staying in touch with friends, etc. you know, the outside world.

LOL< at "a REAL American"...you arent a real American, you are someone who doesnt like Obama and you will make a baseless and rediculous argument on here just to try to slander the man a little more.

You arent a real american, its obvious by your dig at liberals as well as the personal attack on someone else on the board that had no relation to your post that you are nothing more than a standard issue rethuglican, in the dark and behind the times. Please, stay in the stone age and let the rest of the world go by.

Please, just go away and put on another chorus of the new Rethuglican theme song "Barack the Magic Negro" to calm you down a little.

Every Prez has had to adapt to new tech, there are so many satilites out in space from every country, I am sure if they wanted to listen in they could. I say he has to stay in touch, when you take the Prez out of the realm he looses touch with us. I commend him for wanting to stay in touch with modern tech. Who of us doesn't use it today.

Why would the risk of hacking be greater in two weeks than it is now? Crackberries are always at risk of being hacked. If anything, all the messages up 'till now would be riskier than any current/future ones. I'm sure his current communications are far more controlled than a casual email from two years ago. Let him keep it. Besides, I like the idea of our President being like the rest of us regular folks-texting his peeps or playing BrickBreaker during boring cabinet meetings.......

Why does Obama feel he can do just what he wants. He should give over the Blackberry, again, it is Obama's way or no way. Here is a good idea for Obama, let him turn the blackberry in and get himself a new DINGLEBERRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Betty

So let me get this straight, Sarah Palin using a private email as Governor is bad because it can be hacked and there's no transparency. Yet PEBO using a non-secure wireless device while serving as the POTUS is no big deal?

Double standards are fun.

Mr. Toorey, you are a big part of the problem with America. Paranoid, prejudiced...but most of all, very childish.

Let him keep the blackberry!

In this modern age, should we not want a President who is kept in the loop?

If you have a country that can not figure out a way to get their security together that they have to tell their president they cannot use technology in the 21st century then you have to wonder in what direction that country is to move forward to as well.

President elect package is positive and encouraging and congress must act without delay rather dragging their feet and no action. America’s future is on Congress hands now and I am watching each one decision.

keeping his blackberry doesn't have anything to do with hiding/not hiding anything obamashow... if you knew anything about technology you would know that networks can be easily hacked, blackberries can be easily hacked and emails and sensitive documents could become public if he used his blackberry for anything confidential.

Why don't you learn a thing or 2 about technology before posting your moronic posts?

from "A Real American":

"Funny how most of the tech junkies turn out to be liberals…. while most conservatives are too busy trying to actually make a living for themselves, and not on the government's dime!"
_________

So by your logic, people using technology are also receiving welfare or otherwise depending on government services?

Maybe if "Real Americans" like you WERE wired into the outside world you would realize how ignorant some of your preconceptions are.

There are secured, encrypted versions of PDA's available. He won't be missing anything.

dang, he is speaking the truth and ya'll want him to be phony like the rest of them. yea for usa!!

Here is the problem. Who is going to have his phone number? Even if only his closest friends have it, the number can still be aquired by others. Do we really want random people calling or texting the president directly?

As the president shouldn't they be able to get a super-duper-secured -one line service-CIA- FBI- NSA- NASA- satellite line that can't be hacked?!?

I mean he is going to be the most powerful man on the planet. Come on!

Lame and cheap shot Toorey.

Let the man keep his Blackberry....if this is going to help him stay in touch with the real world...what is the harm?
Its time we have a president that is a little more down to earth and not just sitting in his Oval office waiting for things to fall out of the sky...

I am sure the secret service can find pretty good hackers to encrypt his phone enough that no one could acess any of the data....

With all this economy crisis, this is what people are worried about...someone blackberry usage...TO READ THE NEWS!!!

Go figures

I would expect that someone wo managed to be elected President would be prudent enought to limit his communications in a way that would not jepoardize his reputation or the safety of those who depend on his good judgement. That said, I fail to see where the dilemma lies if he pays for the service himself. I can only imagine how difficult if would be to cut oneself off from any unfiltered communication with the entire world. On a personal note I enjoy being able to communicate with my husband when we are in a crowded room without exchanging a word.

Toorey, Obama Show, Atlas, Sara for America et al, you are a complete bunch of tools. Seriously, get bent, you have nothing to offer. The idea that a President would actually use 21st century technology during the 21st century is something we should applaud. I understand the security risk (the GPS signal from Obama's Blackberry means he can be 'found' anywhere on earth) but there has to be some way to mask the signal or provide adequate security to prevent hacking, etc. There are obviously secure government satellites. Can't they link his signal through those?

Its funny to see some of these people create personal attacks against Obama just because he wants to continue using his blackberry. Some of you are very sad people, confusing your own dislike for the man (maybe because he is black, y'know Rethuglicans are actually pretty racist, Barack the magic negro anyone?)

I love how some of these posters are "ZOMG! He is gonna spill national secrets on his blackberry...he has no control of whats put on it...ZOMG!!"

LOL, if you believe that then you really are pathetic and reaching for an argument...did anyone say there were going to be state secrets on his blackberry...do you carry corporate secrets on YOUR personal cell phone?

What a bunch of absolute morons....please try to find another argument, at least one that may hold some water.

P.S.- Maybe he has something to hide!!! LOL< absolutely priceless and shows the lengths some people will go to (ie. an absolutely baseless and just downright stupid accusations/arguments)

Guy's going to be working 24/7 for this country! If he wants the BlackBerry to keep in touch with friends and family, in a historically very lonely job, let him!

Perhaps Obama's dilemma will cause Blackberry or some other telecommunication company to develop a secure device for his (and ultimately, others') use.

And you people who suggest Obama has something to hide - why, then, would he want to keep his Blackberry, which is inherently insecure and easily hacked? Your so-called logic makes no sense whatsoever.

You know... with the advancement of Technology; you would think that NASA or any other agency (used to be the Navy) would have come up with a safe way to encrypt and decrypt signals to a blackberry-like device to provide the most powerful man in the world the adequate communications he requires. Perhaps the new wave of scientists coming to the white house can carve a policy to make it happen...

I don't blame my boy but Blackberries do get hacked. I hope he does the right thing...

Plus, do what I do! Just write everything down...you think I trust this computer?? Please!!

Maybe this is a step in the right direction – Obama wants to stay in touch with the real world, and this is an ideal way of doing it....how better a way to hear about what's going on, and get opinions of the American people? Make his Blackberry secure and let him use it, for the benefit of the President and the people of the U.S.

Does he have a RED phone that anyone can get a hold of him in the oval office. He doesn't need a Blackberry and it would be rediclous for him to keep it if he is the President of the United States. It would be a danger to the USA to keep it.

Some people need to get out of the 19th Century. Simply enough, this man may want to email his wife about dinner or his friends about a Chicago Bulls game, check the latest news, look at a calendar, listen to some tunes, etc. None of these items have anything to do with national security.

Keep your Blackberry Mr. President.

I'd rather have him carry a blackberry than wear a dunce cap.

@ Sarah for America

Stuff it already.

He needs to send Michelle and the girls a "I Love You" text message once in a while.

He is still a hubby to Michelle and Pa to Malia and Sasha, and they will be worrying about him when he is away at work.

I know Michelle will be wanting to know if Barack has eaten his sandwich and the girls will want to know if they can get a raise on their allowance!

Come on people, let the gentleman keep his gadget. he will most likely be texting Michelle anyway!!

I agree with Tom in this day and age they should have ways to that the President of USA can communicate with any device he needs to. USA step your game up.

The use of BlackBerry units and other PDAs is likely to be physiologically addictive based on many published studies linking exposures to radiofrequency/microwave radiation and extremely low-frequency radiation to effects on the endogenous opioid system of the brain (the addictive center of the brain). The widespread use of PDAs is a health concern. Joking references to "crackberry" addiction are probably on target. Obama and others who are in leadership positions have health issues to worry about with constant use of them, as well as security issues. The July 2007 issue of Bioelectromagnetics Vol 28, No. 5 (a scientific journal) has an article on the exposures and possible risks of such devices.

Doesn't he have a RED phone that anyone can get a hold of him in the oval office. He doesn't need a Blackberry and it would be rediclous for him to keep it if he is the President of the United States. It would be a danger to the USA to keep it.

I say give up the Crackberry and get an iPhone instead!

for those of you commenting and don't have a blk berry you don't have a clue how addictive it can be...I feel sorry for Obama if they try and take it...

Reading this thread shows just how stupid people are in America. It is not about sending security codes you idiots. Email is one thing, but so is the phone and internet browswer. Some 17 year old computer geek can hack that information and it can fall into the wrong hands. I am talking about contact numbers of his family, friends, relatives that people can track. Websites he visits, places where he may go, places his family may go. We do not need people finding out this information which can lead to kidnappings or plots of violence. That is not even considering all the other sensitive information about the country. For safety reasons, he must surrender it. For the safety of his family, himself and for Americans.

He should keep the blackberry, we've HAD an uninformed President for the last 8 years. THAT'S what happens when you have to rely on other people to feed you only what they think you want to hear. Obama is more realistic and capable of scouring the news and getting the information he needs. FAST. no middleman to edit for him. Like others have said, there is no need for him to REPLY to anything received through the blackberry. He COULD rely on staff to send out replies, ending any security concerns.

Let the man keep it. What's it to everyone? Who caresssssssssssss? It will obviously be monitored and he's not stupid, he won't use it for secure information. If you have a blackberry you understand why he doesn't want to lose it lol
If you dont, and you're just mad bc you voted for McCain then your opinion doesn't so much matter.

It's 2008 for crying out loud, let him keep his blackberry. I'm sure when they went from poney express to mail it was something new they had to get use to. Computers were propably even harder to adapt to.. I though we want to bring this country forward, not backward.. Go Obama, keep your blackberry!

I say he keeps it and anyone who hacks it serves a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Maybe that'll stop some of these punk hackers with nothing better to do than interfere and ruin peoples lives. Life sentencesfor those who start viruses too. Just thought I'd through that in there

I work for RIM.

I am not sure how suddenly BlackBerry smartphones have become 'insecure'. They are the most secure devices on the planet. Remeber when India said it would not allow BlackBerry's in the country as they could not obtain information from them?

Someone better tell the CIA and the Pentagon that BlackBerry's are insecure so they can stop using them!!

Yeah good idea use a foreign commmunicarion service for presidential emails

Duh

You DON'T need a blackberry to stay in touch with the real world.
To stay in touch with the real world.people need to PUT DOWN the blackberry !

How idiotic that he thinks text technology keeps you in touch better than simply talking to someone.

Maybe he ought to be worrying about more important thinss. I was laid off on October 20 and am having absolutely NO LUCK finding employment. I have no health insurance and cannot afford my monthly preseciptions any longer.

What is he planning to do to help me besides talk?

You DON'T need a blackberry to stay in touch with the real world.
To stay in touch with the real world.people need to PUT DOWN the blackberry !

How idiotic that he thinks text technology keeps you in touch better than simply talking to someone.

To : a real american......I OWN my Own Business, and use the internet FOR my Business.....

I don't know about anyone else....
Thanks

I agree the guy should be able to "use" his blackberry to stay in touch with friends and family, but I'm not sure having it on him all the time is a good idea. Most of you know that you can be tracked by your cell phone signal, so I think there is a safety angle that is not being discussed by the secret service.

hahaha this is funny i know how he feels i am a blackberry user too its very hard to stay without one....

I'm just happy to not have to read how Sarah Palin is going to be Vice President. People getting worked up about Obama's Blackberry is just nonsense in the 24/7 news cycle...

I think it's great that we FINALLY have a President who wants to stay connected with the REAL world and the REAL issues, not the filtered ones handed to him thoughtout his day by advisors who are trying to garner his favor. Yipee, for Obama. Keep your Blackberry Mr. President-Elect.

Let Michele have it....he can borrow it when he wants to get connected....or he can just read the blogs!

GPS capabilities make it easy to track a unit from tower to tower or satellite to satellite thus giving the exact location of the person holding the Blackberry. This is a National security issue as one can cause a destructive device to piggyback the signal from the Blackberry and use it as a guide to that target.

Also, by law, on 20 January, all communications of the President are documented and archived and that includes cell phones, computers and like devices. I am a supporter of PE Obama but I agree with the Secret Service on the issue of the Blackberry.

Love all the clueless folks here who forget that there is a law that requires all e-mail correspondence to be made public record for all Presidents serving in office. If he is willing to have every e-mail on his blackberry be made public record after his term ends then go for it. Here's hoping it does get hacked, the late night shows will have a riot with the leaked information.

Be happy that Obama even knows how to use a blackberry and email.....McCain, didnt even know what an email address was......

LET HIM KEEP IT!

I'm just happy to not have to read how Sarah Palin is going to be Vice President. People getting worked up about Obama's Blackberry is just nonsense in the 24/7 news cycle.

Barack Obama is the first young president we've had in years. He's shown that he understands that information technology is an important tool in communicating with his constituents. He's a smart man, and he'll use the Blackberry and the internet as the tool that it is ~ and I believe he'll do so as safely as possible.

Let him keep it!

One thing I have learned from this man – it is his way or no way. He will win. He does not have to follow any previous or new rules that he does not like. He does not play well with others. The rules are different USA. Get used to it.

Chuck, there are many people who did not vote for him, yet want him to succeed. How anyone could want a president to fail is beyond me (of course, I see and hear liberals all over the place hoping Bush just keeps screwing up and making bad decisions - they were against everything he ever did and that is just as stupid). I hope Obama succeeds, helps put this country back on a good track, and in effect, helps us all.

The hate is uncalled for whether is Obama, Bush, McCain, or Palin - I hear liberals today talking about how no one should hate this new president because we should never hate anyone, yet they are the same ones that espoused hatred constantly on a woman they never even knew anything about [Palin]. Both liberals and conservatives need to grow up a bit and practice exactly what they preach.

I know a good place he could store his blackberry for 4 years....and he will always have it with him....

I HOPE OBAMA GET TO KEEP HIS BLACKBERRY. WE DO LIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, WHY CAN'T THE CIA/FBI INTEL FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE DEVICE SECURE?

Don't take away His direct link to HAMAS, please. How will He be able to operate without those advisors?

Why not just disable the email function, or trade it in for something comparable but not with email. I'm sure the CIA or someone can come up with something that is more secure and unknown to the general public that looks and acts like a Crackberry but more secure. Why not use the advance of technology to his advantage? Don't halt the use of it, be on the cutting edge of it. Its harder to hack technology that isn't already out on main street. There's a happy medium for both sides here.

Barack needs to keep his blackberry, so when an ER. comes up he won't have to go thru 3/4 people and wait while "they" decide what to do !!!! If I wanted to move to this country and listen to some of your
complaints I would not want to move here. If you have nothing POSITIVE TO SAY ABOUT THE US. PUT YOUR LIPS TOGETHER !!
PS. I LIVE HERE !!

Let him keep it!!! KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!!

I see the haters are still at it. You people are amazing to me. You will try to find ANYTHING to criticize the Pres-Elect about. Even when you surely know that the man knows he has to give up the Blackberry for national security reasons. You all wouldn't know humor if it came and bit you in the arse. Majority of the people who have Crackberries know the addictive nature of those things. It's simply humorous to know that the PE is no different than anyone else. But instead of simply laughing at some of the human folly we all have...yall take it to a whole new level of pointless drama. How sad...

Let him keep the Blackberry. Its not like he is going to be talking about top secret stuff on it.

Not sure where you have been living, but there ARE terrorists groups trying to kill us. Or, is it that you are one of the nutcases who think 9/11 was an inside job?

For his own safety, he needs to be smart enough to listen to the secret service and others with the responsibility of keeping him and his family safe.

In this age of technology, can't something be done to make his device more secure? If he has something to hide, as some people say, shouldn't it be the other way around? Duh!!!!

HIs intentions are noble . but his safety must be the priority. I suggest he hands over the blackberry and relies on Michelle to keep personal things current.
I love that he is so "current" but he needs to step back in time and
understand there was "life" before blackberries

It's know it's tough to step away from the Crackberry, but I agree re: the security aspect... with people around bored enough to hack Lindsay Lohan's MySpace page, the President would be a prime target. BB's are not secure and most likely won't be soon. Take the politics out of it and try to look at things objectively – this finger-pointing nonsense achieves nothing in the end, and everyone – especially the guilty – know who is responsible.

I know that we are in technology world as I have blackberry. ( i used to have sidekick, Wyntell, Motoralo in 10 years..I understood him! Only way, White House need to make new pager for top staff (president, VIce pres, etc) as their own custom pager. It is only way to protect from hacker.

amen to the iPhone. why not let him keep it for personal use? as long as there is no confidential info going through it, whats the harm?

Well well well here y'all are again crying and whining. We are in a New age; one where you can send a message by cellphone download music while eating lunch and watch video via blackberry while at a meeting.
In the day and age of the newspaper vanishing; we have the blackberry, iPhone and other types of communication in which we didn't have 15 years ago.
New times are upon us; everyone that posted to this blog ( or article) used technology that we didn't have growing up. I am almost 45 years old; a woman of color; the only child of an US Serviceman who served his country for 27 years. WW2, Korean conflict & Viet Nam)
I grew up learning to respect the president; not agree all the time with him; not like him but respect him.
Now I have the luxury to like and respect a president. I have the luxury to see a new time in our history as an american I have this time right now to sit here and read rhetoric, puns, jokes and hatred about anyone and anything all via the internet. I can watch tv via the internet. I can pay my bills now via the internet.
So if it is a true story or just a funny one about the President-elect parting ways with his blackberry, what most of you all should realize is that while he the youngest President to take office he is also very smart and reaches out to people.
No matter your race or party affiliation we cannot sit here and constantly pick and poke at what he does or proposes unless you can walk a mile in his shoes, you can criticize and you can disagree but the majority has spoken our country is failing globally and we need for our kids to be back on top in school in college and the job market and well it looks like from his story Read it on wiki) he has walked a little bit in ours already
Peace; I am your and you are mine; in this new day we become whole again, not to divide not to conquer but to build to live and to be one.

I think Obama should resign immediately. As a private citizen he can keep his blackberry and the country gets to avoid having such an unqualified imbecile as it's president. Win win situtation if I ever saw one.

Give me a break, military officers have blackberries that are secure and they can conduct business on. This is a technological world now, and to top it off he has young children, what if something happens to them?

BO, when you are done with your Blackberry on the January 19, 2009, at midnight the Blago investigation would like it turned over for their review. I am sure there is much more info that you know in regards to the selling of your Senate seat than you had led the American people to believe., Who will be going down and sacrificed for your involvement in this matter??? Rambo, Jesse Jackson Jr......You are part of the corruption in Illinois and now you will bring your tarnished record to Washington.........BO has the most scandals ever for a Presiden-elect even before he took office.....Let the fun begin!!!!

Oh great, a President that is going to be a security leak!!

I am in full agreement with Obama. they would have to pry mine out of my hand too. It seems that he should be able to have a little privacy that no one can tamper with. I know that position is very delicate but it seems that if he is carefukl and does not leave it on very long the hackers would not have time to access his tranascion but I know he will have to be an ant under a microscope and fot all of us, "WE THE PEOPLE " have to be protected too so not one can get to secret info. We will just have to wait and see what happens won't we?

I would just like to know, why does Obama believe the BlackBerry is the only way he can stay grounded?

Stay human.

Only idiot democrats need blackberries. They don't know how to communicate any other way!!!

If we want a president to understand us and where we come from then let him have it.. why hide him from everything that's real?

i think he just doesn't want to give up brick breaker...
that is what i would be doing during those long boring meetings!

Alfred January 8th, 2009 10:25 am ET

Why don't you just follow the rules instead of creating your own, Obama?

______

Alfred, a President is a Leader, not a Follower.

This article is misleading.

One would believe, after reading it, that Bush actually
understood HOW to use e-mail.

Bad journalism.

So Obama is saying he can't keep in touch with the outer world without it.... that is absurd. Technology is great, but being addicted to electronic devices usually makes people out of touch with reality. Don't believe me? Look at the ridiculous postings of someone like "Proud American", who comments so many times a day it's obvious he doesn't have a job (or if he does, he definitely isn't earning his pay).

Funny how most of the tech junkies turn out to be liberals.... while most conservatives are too busy trying to actually make a living for themselves, and not on the government's dime!

Could people not be any angrier that he's gonna be president soon? I bet all you so call conservatives dont know why your conservatives. Before Lyndon Johnson signed the Bill of Rights you would have been liberals!!!!! Sorry for the history lessons but instead of meeting people half way, half this country either love or hate the president.

Is it just me, or is it not apparent that Barack Obama will be sworn in as the next President of this country? If so, why are there still so many haters among us? If you can't find something positive to say or do, stop staring at your computer screen and volunteer your time elsewhere and try to make a difference in this world. Those of us who are already making that effort could use your help.

I hope Obama doesn't give in to a lot of things without a fight – he is a person just like the rest of us. I will sleep better at night knowing that this highly educated, well-spoken, intelligent, thoughtful and calm man is sleeping under the roof of the White House instead of the most recent occupant. Since the election, I have seen more communication, more concern and more discussion from him than the actual commander in chief. His sense of purpose and determination to help this country is something we have lacked for far too long. So, all of you negative thinkers and haters who just keep on dragging your feet and perpetuating the problems, come on board. We as a nation are going to need all of the UNITED help we can get.

You've got to be kidding!!! The S.S. is a joke and are in need of some serious help if they Really can' t protect the president from his blackberry. Finally a president with some accountability and they are trying to put a blanket on him. For Gods sake are they really worried about this? And the last time I checked... He is now THEIR Boss. So maybe he should replace them!! Where do they get off telling him he has no right to access the public!! I did not know becoming President meant losing Rights! Go BIG Gov.

Clinton Fringer January 8th, 2009 10:24 am ET

I guess Mr. Obama is getting the hard dose of reality that being the president is actually a job……..a hard job……….and not all about smiling for the cameras. There are rules there for a reason and whether he believes it or not, the world isn't going to love him. Maybe he should have thought about what being the president really is all about before he ran for office.

________
So interesting how different people read information. Obama said he wants to be connected to the world, and a Blackberry would help him. He wants to keep the Blackberry to enable him to work harder and more efficiently. At least that's my take from reading this ticker.

~Optimistic

Let him keep it.....just tell him not to 'send' messages out other than ' i heard your message'.

He needs to give it up. No matter what he writes on it or to others it will be fodder and amunition. Email lacks tone and can be misconstrued to mean almost anything you want it to be. As POTUS, he needs to be more secure. Giving up the BB will not remove him from the public and will not force him to be out of touch. Trying to enforce the technology, while a step in the right direction, does not make his BB secure because there will always be someone out there who'll figure out how to get around it.

I love america: while we are having all the trouble in the world getting our economy back on track after the devastation of huricane "Bush" and the wallstreet conartists bailout, I can't believe some are fighting over blackberry.

May be if bush has enough brain to use one, he would have had enough brain to know that wars cost money.

By the way, the bush's left over brain works in $$$$ only. $$$ swindled directly from the treasury of any country, including ours and those of the countries he invades.

For legality's sake man you better give it up.

I LOVE HIM, STAY CONNECTED OBAMA!!! YOU'RE A REAL PERSON AND WE APPRECIATE THAT!

what is blackberry

is type of pie?

i would not give up my dinner either. stay strong mr president.

It makes perfect sense that he would want some connection to remain of the REAL WORLD. His intelligence and foresight are such a welcome change!!! Change I totally believe in! Fight for you right to keep it president elect Obama!!!

Oh brother, a president with an addition to toys! Geez, get over yourself! Why don't you start with Pelosi and her husband's connection with American Somoa and Star Kist and her husband's millions of dollars in stock in the company and her earmarks costing YOU millions she threw their way! You stupid democrats think Bush was a crook – he's got nothing on Pelosi!! By the time she is through with us, and Nobama has printed all the money he wants, it'll be the year 3000 before national debt is paid and the US will be a 3rd world country. All I can say is I'm glad I'm as old as I am (and I'm not that old). And, no, I'm not a republican!

Enough with the FEAR tactics, what's wrong with having a Blackberry to keep in touch with his friends and family. All that crap about terrorist threat or someone will get to Obama, PLEASE, enough with the Bush Admin. scare and fear crap. There are no terrorist trying to get to every American with bombs and all that other crap their trying to keep us afraid. If this country didn't do the things they do over seas to other people, we wouldn't have this crap out here.

Something needs to be figured out so he can stay connected and safe at the same time. Not sure how but I hope someone can make that happen for him.

Oh for heavens sake. This is not about national security. Nothing about Nation Security will ever touch the device.

Nowhere in the article mentions National Security. The Secret Service is concerned that information my get hacked to reveal his personal security.

Now for those ranting about him hiding things with the Black Berry turn on your brains for a second. The lawyers don't want him to have it because it is subject to disclosure. The information on it can be subpoena. If he wanted to hide something he would be getting rid of it. A Blackberry is the last place you want to hide information.

un mode my statements,,, i have every right to post a comment.. until 012009... until the spawn from hell is unleashed upon us .. i will have a right to speak.. after then... so help you all.. my god how gullible some of the folks here are... this is where i come to laff at half the idiots in america , with it tech and all,, im on dial up , and it works great

WELCOME TO THE OBAMA SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!! January 8th, 2009 10:13 am ET

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE HE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or maybe he doesn't if he had something to Hide wouldn't he want to get rid of it?

Here's his plan.

As President, he writes emails using his BlackBerry. His messages are something to the effect that "I am so humbled by this experience," and "I wept over the poor and hungry today".

Then, OMG, it gets "hacked!" SOMEHOW his postings get leaked to the media.....(MSNBC perhaps, or FOX to make it look credible).

Then all the cultists weep because their leader is so....Christlike.

thats the problem with technology, people get too addicited and its rediculous

If it makes Obama more effective ( and obviously it has) find out a way to make a more secure blackberry and go from there. Don't hamper him in doing his job, because he has a monumental one in front of him.

Christ almighty not even a decent sales rep can get get by these days without their crackberry. Don't listen to the naysayers, and figure out a way to make it work and keep it secure at the same time.

Washingtonians suck so bad at technology.

Go Barack !

All the other past presidents figured out how to stay informed and communicate with others without a Blackberry or any other fancy gadgets. I think Obama can muddle through his term without a Blackberry like the rest of us who don't own one. He'll live. There is such a thing as the telephone or turning on the news or reading a newspaper to stay informed and/or communicate with others.

this has become a necessary tool in most everyone's life, he should be able to keep it, make it hacker proof.

I think theonion.com should do a story on how people reacted when the telephone was invented... "Secret Service wants the PE to stop using his rotary telephone, because it could be hacked into..." Seriously, communication methods change, and people adapt. The whole concept with a BB (as it was with the telephone) is quicker communication, for more timely action. I really don't think that this country needs us to move any slower on things then we already do. There are ways to make the BB more secure, in fact, most of our government ALREAY uses different servers than your average BB user, since RIM is based in Canada, and we don't want our secrets getting into the pesky hands of our brothers to the North. And really, no one has an issue with Air Force One, why not BES One? (BES is the blackberry enterprise server that companies use for their employees corporate email.)

I have a Blackberry, too, and rely on it heavily, but I am also NOT the elected head of this nation with responsbilities of national security at the top of the list of my things-to-do for the day. Behave "presidentially" Mr. Obama, just give it up. You'll have access to equipment & technology that far exceeds that which Blackberry can provide you...

Don't want to give up your blackberry.
how childish of you.
Your comment sound like my child

Just reading this blog just goes to show how many stupid people we have -–There is nothing secure anymore and blackberries are a big target along with your cellphones and PC.... It seems like most of you have forgotten 9/11 and what happened on our soil. NOTHING IS SECURE ANYMORE!!!!!! Obama grow up and get rid of the Blackberry if not for your own security, but for the security of all Americans....

He needs it so he can keep in touch with the rest of the scum and crooks in Chicago.

A presidnet in touch with the real world – now that's change we can beleive in

I did not vote for you , but I like the direction you are headed! Keep that Blackberry ! You will be a better president if you see the world as we see it...
I suppose you could never send an email or just send love notes to the three sweet ladies in your life!! No one could find fault with a man that lets his wife and chldren know how much they are thought of my him!

January 8th, 2009 10:28 am ET

Alfred, Why "just follow the rules" if they don't make sense. Question the rules and maybe even come up with a solution to the concern while adding value to the post. Obama will soon be the leader of the free world, he will be very involved in changing the rules if need be and not just follow blindly like your home boy Bush

wow dude,,, the leader of the whole free world?? wow... makes him kinda god like dont it,,

I understand both sides. Obama wants to be able to keep in touch with the 'real' world so that he doesn't have to rely on always being fed information by someone in government while the Secret Service and lawyers want to make sure that nobody is able to hack into Obama's personal communications. Both sides make sense so it is difficult to say one side is more right than the other so I believe there should be some leniency on both sides.

It's simple people, Blackberries have GPS built in, he needs to grow up and give it up.

With great privilege comes great responsibility. He's going to have to give it up. He needs to be safe–he has two little girls for crying out loud.

Obama, get over it and give the thing up. Many of your supports know that you will need both of your hands to waive your magic wand and sprinkle your pixie dust all over this country to fix what needs fixing.

....any"thing" is smarter than Bush. Of course he should be allowed to maintain his Blackberry. What a ridiculous issue!

I hope President-elect Obama gets to keep his Blackberry. Surely there is a compromise somewhere, like e-mail connections to family and close friends only, etc. etc. I'm impressed he really wants to be able to surf the web and see what real Americans are thinking. C'mon Republicans, give the man a break. We had GWB for 8 years, and some of us Dems actually tried to see the good things about the president, not all his mistakes. At least, as much as we could. Give Obama a chance.

I knew it would happen. What do you think Jesus actually said about a blackberry? What does religion have to do with this? Ignorance.

I say let him keep it. I'm sure the govt has much of the technology that can make his blackberry secure, and for once – we need a grounded president. If the blackberry keeps him in touch with the American people, etc. then that's great.

Way to go man!!!!

He is smart enough to use it in a way that will not expose himself or others. Get over it folks, you are not dealing with an idiot this time around.

country and our safety goes first, than beloved addictions.....I understand it is painful for him, but we all have to make some sacrifices. Security people know their job.

He is the president-elect for goodness sake! He should be allowed to keep his blackberry. Maybe the opposition should get hip and get there own. There are ways to set up a confidential account, I know I use my blackberry this way. You go Barack.

How else is he going to be able to keep in touch with Blago, Airs, Wright and all his secret corrupt friends. Does he have something to hide?

Just had to comment on Doug from the Joe the Plumber article:

Doug, I live in one of the bluest of blue states, Illinois, and I haven't seen ONE bumper sticker anything like what you are talking about! Also, of the Republicans I know, a few of them are racist, and a handful are anti-Constitution Bush fanatics. However, zero of the hundreds of Democrats I know would ever strap on a bomb to suicide bomb a "Conservative" (meaning liberal-spending, government-control-of-personal-life, hate-mongering maniacs) radio station.

Methinks someone is HIGHLY delusional. Must be from listening to too much drug-addled conservative talk radio.

Seriously?! This is the 21st Century for god's sake! I"m sure that if someone wanted to hack into anything it wouldn't be his PERSONAL BLACKBERRY!! What would be the point of that? Now I know that Secret Service is just doing their job in keeping our new President safe but GET REAL!! I don't see any police going around confiscating blackberries from the citizens to keep us safe! Let him keep his blackberry! There's no REAL reliable reason not to!!

Maybe if "W" had been allowed a Blackberry he wouldn't have been so out of touch – Oh wait, you have to actually know how to use a Blackberry*

I also agree with the previous comment, the President is the boss... let the security people get together with the technical people along with RIM and figure it out.

yup, he should give up his blackberry...and switch to an IPhone

We sent men to the Moon; and we can't figure out a way for the President to keep his Blackberry in a secured manner?

Obama says he wants to stay in the flow of everyday life.
What a crock. How many "everyday life" people have his email address so he can stay in touch with voters.
He will be "isolated and removed" just like every president before him and he will very quickly lose touch with the reality of life as others live it.
He will lose this blackberry fight like all the future battle he'll lose.
Bye Bye Obama. Step into the White House and you step out of reality.
This entire pampered president system has to change.

I am sympathetic to Prez Obama – productive people like the BB because it forces fast and succinct communication. Proves to me that this man is well-grounded and pragmatic; that he intends to be ACCESSIBLE – which is a brilliant change from the previous occupant of the WH.

For safety reasons I think he should give it up too, but I do understand where he's coming from. Anyone with a smartphone knows that thing becomes an extension of you and keeps you connected to everything around the clock.

Wow, the way it sounds is that the POTUS is the only high-ranking U.S. official who shouldn't carry a Blackberry because the White House IT dept can't guarantee that it will be secure. What does that say about ALL high-ranking U.S. officials?...are any of them carrying a Blackberry? And do any of them use it for work purposes, perhaps sending/receiving/reviewing nat'l security-level info? Aren't ALL handheld devices by more nitty-gritty-focused federal folks more at risk than the POTUS?

I think he needs to be able to keep it and they need to deal with it. He will be a 21st century president, why knock him back to the 1980's? They need to find a way to secure it or at least to allow him to keep it for personal life contact with the outside world. I agree, no nat'l security info, but texting or emailing with family & friends and checking news headlines – that is "real world" contact independent of any potential "yes" people/bubble around him.

Sounds like he's clinging to his cigarettes and Blackberrys...

It's time our government moved into the 21st century. Every CEO in the world has a PDA. It's ridiculous that the leader of the most powerful nation in the world wouldn't have one. It's not about being a tech-junkie, it's about communication, something you older folks wouldn't understand.

I can hear the boots on penn ave and just see the arms of his followers in the air,,, do what I SAY... NOW...or the american recovery act will not include , all lets just say it here,,, anyone who does not conform with the messiahs way,,, jim jones ... too bad u aint alive to see your dream come true... blind sheep following the wolf ,, as a former democrat,, i gregg ,, hope not to hear those boots on my front porch one nite at 3 in the morn,,, but i am sure i will hear his sheep bleating

Last point. Those of you that don't have a blackberry will never understand and those that have one can totally relate to Obama

Remember, the Detroit Mayor? Man, bb can be so detrimental. Keep it but be aware all information is kept.

If its safehe should keep his blackberry. As he says he need to stay in touch with the "real" world. With all the super technoligies we have I don't understand why his blackberry cannot be made safe and my profession is IT?

Firstly, Bbberry encryption is some of the best out there and that is why companies use it.

So if they have encryption for cell phones and land lines why not added encryption for the blackberry?

Oh wait those Canadians cannot be trusted!

Forget it, get the man to give up his bberry

Yes, it's sad but it's the truth. If he wants Osama Bin Laden to check his text messages, he can keep texting. Meanwhile, can pigeons be used?

Hey Barack–don't you know that since you have been elected Prez, you can't have a regular "everyday life" anymore. Reality check, dude. Everything you do from now on will be under constant scrutiny and remember, if you know how to use a Blackberry, other world leaders do too. They have this technology all over the world. Come on fellow, wake up and smell the coffee (that will perked and brought to you on a silver tray EVERY morning for the next four years!).

I love my BB. But Obama shouldn't need one...he's going to be POTUS! If he wants info he just needs to ask. If he wants to send or receive email, just tell his secretary to do it.

The problem with cell phones and especially GPS enabled BB is that they can track you within feet of your location. This is a HUGE security risk for a president. Imagine China, North Korea or any other State hacking and tracking the president.

Or what if someone hacked a way to connect a call to his phone without ringing it? they could listen to any conversations...or as you all have had the accidental call where someone dials you without knowing and is in a conversation or just doing life's normal activities leaving you, the unsuspecting recipient of a long voicemail with potentially juicy information...

This is something he should be able to do without.

I command Mr. Obama for wanting to keep in touch with the people. I think a lot of presidents don't know whats going on in the outside world with the common man, once they became president.

WoW !! Some of these comments !!! WoW !

well, from what I've heard over the last few months, it will be 20 years
before any Republican wins the White House…..We in Houston have a Mayor that is In his 2nd term….and people in Houston would love to have him IN again, if they could…AND YES, HE'S A DEMOCRAT !!!

You conservative people jump all over the stupidest things. The ticker post is supposed to be light-hearted, but you are so desperate to find something to justify an "a ha" moment, you post some of the most ascinine comments. It's like reading the comments section over at Politico. Boy are there some real loons over there.

NO MAN DON'T GIVE IT UP !!

WE ARE THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD.

YOU NEED TO FEEL, HEAR & SEE US & WE YOU.

okay, people take a chill pill! this man is ONLY human! he does have his addictions like every one else. some HAVE to have coffee, some gum, some candy, some cigarettes, some cigars, and almost every one has an addition with cell phone and electronics. get over yourselves! stop trying to think just b/c he is going to be president, he is God Like. He's NOT! he is only human and trying to do the best for us here. hell, just like a parent, stressing and worrying. how many of you smoke or drink! at least he isn't a raging acoholic like MANY of us joe shmoes!

I realize that this is a strange concept, but it is possible that Obama intends to be honest and above board, and feels he has nothing to worry about if his emails become public. It isn't as though he will be mailing national sec. items to people who are not involved. Yes, the security will have to be improved to prevent interception, but the US intelligent community should be able to do that.

--------------------------–

MOTIVATION BY STRONG VINCENT HIGH SCHOOL

THE LIGHT OF INTEGRITY
The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the full light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny…it is the light that guides your way."

Heraclitus Greek Poet, Philosopher

I think he should be allowed to use email as long as it's used in a reasonable fashion. As someone already pointed out, email can be stolen. I absolutely agree with that. Any email should be considered public and always used knowing it could become public. Obviously secrets involving National Security should never be sent in email. There are a lot of mundane things that are probably appropriate for email and would be far more efficient than trying to reach people by phone.

As far as a BlackBerry itself, I think he should replace it with something harder to hack.

What successful person in today's world does not use a Blackberry?! Washington and the White House need to catch up to the 21st Century! How is America suppose to stay ahead and continue to be the best without keeping up with the times!!

What's the difference between President-elect Obama sending e-mails via his BlackBerry and his aides sending the same information via the same "insecure" channel?

The Bible teaches if you cause harm to children, it would be better for you to tie a rope around your necks with a big rock on the other end, and cast yourselves into the water, then to be alive when the last rapture occurs.

The United States governments and churches have been guilty for the past 62 years for allowing sodom and gomorrah life styles, that I talk about on this website below, which are crimes against humanity, and this is a very serious security issue.

Security; precautions taken to guard against crime.

The World has been warned about the return of Messiah and this still goes on. The Bible teaches you will be warned and most people will not believe and repent, and will be left behind concerning the rapture.

I used to feel sorry for those that will be left behind, but I don't anymore.

Look at that little child, all because of GREED.

Forget the Blackberry – he needs an IPhone!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT
EDUCATION AND WORK FOR ALL PEOPLE

The future of the United States concerning life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...

Education and work for all people. You ask how can this be?. All people will have an education and will learn a trade. How can all work, you ask. Not every person would work every day. You might only work one week out of every three months.

All people would have all that they need. This is our GOD given rights concerning our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

He's the most powerful man in the world and I find it strange to believe there isn't a secure way to protect the President's e-mail accounts. Geesh!

I will not give up my Pacifer!!

Obama-get over it.

To those who thinks he is the "one".
I bet in 4 years, maybe 2, you cannot find anyone who voted for him.

Friday, April 11th, 2008
Drug dealers still selling illegal street drugs on the property of Valley Royal Court Apartments New Kensington, PA.

Sincerely,

Gary E Savage

Friday, February 8th, 2008
Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation Corporation (AHRCO) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On this day around 2:00 P.M., I Gary E. Savage, called AHRCO and talked with Cathy Bonaroti about illegal drugs being sold on their property of Valley Royal Court Apartments New Kensington, PA. I gave her my website and ask her to review as we were speaking, but she said she would review later. I then said, I am serious about the drug problem, and I am planning to sue NAACP, and I said I will sue AHRCO, if they don’t stop the illegal drug sells, on their property at VRCA New Kensington, PA.

Gary E. Savage

G.R.I.T.S. – Girl Raised in the South January 8th, 2009 10:18 am ET

As long as he remembers Blackberries aren't totally secure, and doesn't send any state secrets, why shouldn't he be allowed to keep it to e-mail friends and check the internet? It's not like he's going to just be sitting in an office all day like the rest of us with easy access to the 'net!

The point is, he's a target for all to try and intercept...it's not you or me on our device; it's the president, get it? Sorry, but that job comes with strict limitations. IF he can't handle it...which time will show is true, he needs to step aside. I'm sure Biden's licking his chops....

Proud American – Aren't you on his fab 5?

I guess I thought Obama was the president, and the Secret Service was supposed to work around him based on what he decided. Sounds like in this case the service should be finding a way to help make it safe, not forbiding it.

To the people who believe Obama is throwing a tantrum or is somehow hypocritcal because of the blackberry thingy; you are a bunch of whiners, just as Phil Gramm suggests. I'm sure he simply wants to keep up with the news across the nation and around the world. Geez! I say, disable the GPS and let him keep his blackberry for news and informational purposes.

Thursday, January 01, 2009 Time 4:35 AM
If I had the money, I would hire a law firm, to file a law suit against Westmoreland County Housing Authority and Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation Corporation. As you read in letters to Governor Rendell, concerning crimes against humanity, these two entities were warned and they don't seem to care about security for their tenants.

I believe I have been able to obtain enought evidence for a criminal negligence law suit.

I say let him keep it and have it encrypted. If we can hold on to nuclear secrets, why not secure a simple communication device?

I voted for a president who is connected.

The era of low information, President George W. Bush, and old, rich people telling me what's good for my country is over.

YES WE DID!

When you think you are the Messiah, you can do NO wrong.
Barack Hussein Obama thinks he is.
He thinks the world revolves around him!!!

Saturday, January 03, 2009 I was awakened by gun fire. This gun fire lasted around 30 miniutes. The gun at times was like a machine gun. I live in a small country community. Children live above me. I thought what fear this would cause these young children. I called 911 and they transfered me to Kittanning PA state police. They would not respond to my complaint. I got into my car and drove to were I thought the gun fire was coming from. I noticed an older lady around late seventies. I ask her if she heard the gun fire. She said yes. I ask her if this was good for children. She said if the person is on their own property, she said she has no problem with the gun fire. I thought this country will not change. Someday we all will reap what we have allowed, concerning this type of no concern for others.
Gary E Savage

RESOLUTION or REVOLUTION ... I pray that people will try to reclaim this nation for Messiah or Jesus to most people. I volunteered for the Vietnam conflict, but I was refused to serve. Maybe this is why. In war you can come home alive, in a box, or on a cross. 2000 years ago they put my brother on a cross. I guess GOD had other plans for my future. The bible teaches that in the last years before the last "rapture", there will be an attempt to "legislate" the teaching of Jesus, into the same kind of governments that put Jesus on the cross 2000 years ago. When the rapture occurs by ufos, there will be those that will not believe, and stay here on this earth that will be destroyed by fire.

To reclaim this nation for JESUS, we would need to use our military, sad but true.

Welcome to the Obama Show: Maybe he wants his blackberry because he doesn't have anything to hide!!

We live in a technological age – almost paperless. Please let our new leader keep his prized technology. Surely there is an exception for the leader of the free world.

Go Barack!

Nobody wants to give up their blackberry and you can't blame Obama. All of us that having a living working brain are in touch with technology and are dependent upon it to stay in touch with the real world.

MR. PRESIDENT,

DON'T GIVE IT UP.

THEY NEED TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

THY ARE JUST TRYING TO SEPARATE YOU FROM US.

Sodom & Gomorrah Life Styles... Homosexuality / Prostitution / Drugs / Pronography / People Worshiping the devil
Crimes Against Humanity... Mafia / Motor Cycle Gangs / Drug Gangs / Genocide / Famine / Greed / Poverty / Abortion / Alcoholism

Churches and Governments... Anti-Christ / Anti-Jesus / Dens of Thieves

To reclaim this nation for JESUS, we would need to use our military, sad but true.

Can't quit smoking, Can't stop with the blackberry. One has to ask, what other addicitions is the corrupt media ignoring..

In case obama isn't aware there's this thing called a telephone and if he wants to keep in contact with anyone he can call them. He has to realize that everything he does and says will be watched or recorded. This is for American security. He needs to quit acting like a teenager and do what even his own lawyers are asking him to do. This is not a video game obama it's the real world. You will be President and I would rather American secrets be kept secret. I know you kool-aid drinkers are going to defend and claim he needs a personal life well he probably shouldn't have run for commander in chief if he wanted to live a normal life. There should be nothing he says that he couldn't say on a phone anyway don't ya think?

Go Barak

let him keep it. Its not like he's going to be giving launch codes for some special missile somewhere, or be talking to leaders of the free world on it. Keep it Barry!

Why didn't all these smart people run for President. If they are smarter than Bush and Obama as they claim to be?

Keeping connected with the real world is the hardest thing about being President? Really?

Rather than pull the Blackberry away due to security concerns, why not actually improve the security?

Duh.

While most of the bloggers cheer Obama's "modernism" or "just like us folks"; I would disagree.

As you tirelessly point out, he will be the President of the US.

As we all know, communication technology is easily hacked.

This seems like just another example of how little understanding Obama really has of the position he has been elected to.

For most Obama supporters, ignorance is apparently bliss. For President Obama, ignorance is now dangerous to the nation.

He should keep it.....He is bright enough to use it properly ....and shouldn't be forced to live in a bubble in this day and age.

He needs to seek help for his addictions, including nicotine and cocaine. However, I don't see any problem with allowing him to use the BlackBerry for matters not relating to National Security. He can use it to keep in touch with his girlfriends and mistresses and that way keep it secret, and if it gets hacked no matters of national security will be exposed.

Give him mutilple (14) devices so he can recieve internet and email.

The email he sends ONLY gets sent to a "re-keyer" , an admin, who re-enters (cut-n-pastes) his messages from a White House land account.

Case Closed. President connected.

What an idiot

Another example of how arrogant this guy is. We pay the Secret Service to guard our officials and country, and this guy thinks he knows better.

Wait a minute,are they saying Obama is the only person in power who has a blackberry? That can be hacked? What about Gates or Buffets people, aides, secretaries, lawyers? They have blackberrys that can't be hacked or they just don't have them? How about wall street brokers, or bankers? How about Obama's other people? His aides, cabinet, any one in Washington who works with him?Or are "they" saying he's just able to use intelligently?

Reply to Kevin who says he will around in 8 yrs.
After some of you get your free wealth money you can buy your own blakberry

Maybe he should create a one-way system of communication for himself... he could recieve emails, but not respond. Maybe having the ablity to "read" what is going on around him might help... then he could just pick up the telephone to respond.

Most people I know are struggling to find work, feed thier kids, and pay their bills. Typical wealthy blowhole showing off his toys!!! For the poor people? I think not. Wahhhh my blackberry, my blackberry...grow up Nobama and realize tantrums are seen as weak by other countries!!! You gonna buy us all a blackberry? That'd show how much you care about the poor people. Make us all equal! We'd be a blackberry nation...build monuments dedicated to blackberries. What a wonderful place that would be? Jeez and to think ppl actually voted for him...eyes rolling.

If President-Elect Obama wants a hand-held device for communicating, at least he could get one that isn't run by God knows who in Canada. No offense to our northern neighbors, but why in the world would anyone allow the President of the United States to use an information system for communication that is housed in a foreign country. This makes no sense whatsoever.

You can't tell me that the IT people at the White House can't set him up with a Blackberry securely. If they can't, maybe he needs to get someone in charge of IT that can.

He needs to stop whinning about it and give it up...it will put him in danger and his family.......if the CIA/FBI can track people by their blackberries and cell phones then so can the bad guys...give it up "O" you now belong to us the people your life is no longer your own...you wanted this job and now you got it...if this is any indication of what type of president he is going to be then I think were all in for a major wake up call.....and it may even be on our blackberries........

Having a electronic "identity" allows him to get "real" feedback from the people rather than having people telling him what they think he wants to hear. I say keep it and get an annonomous account. Im so impressed with Obama... I feal confident for a change.

Some of these comments are funny.

How would you like him to communicate? Pony Express, Snail Mail?

Stop trying to justify turning him into a low information President sealed within an airtight bubble of "follow the rules" or "national security".

His request is to use the Blackberry for communication with regular people, NOT to conduct official business.

Stop trying to dumb him down into a version of Bush's disconnected and insulated last 8 years.

Let him keep it and he can use it for personal issues not for any Gov. issues. Everyone wil not know where he is at all times anyway. I like the idea he wants to keep in touch with us simple folks.

To Mr or Miss:

WELCOME TO THE OBAMA SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sincerely laugh really hard every time you post.
Do you give any actual thought to your statements?

Obama must really scare you.

He is the president elect....he is charismatic, very well educated and a family man..THAT'S why he won the election...more people liked him...donated and said, "We feel this man would be the best POTUS"

Get over your silly fears...or better yet, try to realize why you feel them.

What a child he is. National security seems to be lost on him.

Please allow our new PRESIDENT to keep his BLACKBERRY!!! And to all the HATERS....get over IT!

It's mainly elderly people posting here that think technology is bad.

They just don't understand these new fangled gadgets that the young 'uns are using these days.

Let's see now. How can I force MY pet peeves/issues into this conversation?

I agree that Blackberry devices can be secured from hackers. However, the same signals used to wirelessly communicate can also be used to locate the Blackberry device. As good as the Secret Service may be at protecting the POTUS, it will just take one good sniper with good tech skills to find Soon-to-be President Obama in a crowd, anywhere, any time.

The concern shouldn't be about hackers accessing information. PE Obama is an intelligent man who won't discuss national issues via a Blackberry device or any other device susceptible to hacking. The concern ishould be for his safety and the safety of his family from the plethora of nut jobs in the world who may feel they have something to prove by taking him out.

Don, NY January 8th, 2009 10:29 am ET

"ways where, you know, people aren't just complimenting you or standing up when you enter into a room"

Don't flatter yourself, BO. Millions of us would never compliment you or stand when you enter a room. And I'm a registered Democrat!

Is that you, Hillary? Sheesh! Get over it. He will BE the PRESIDENT. If you fail to respect him you still should respect him. At least let him get into office and see what he does first fer cryin' out loud!

I completely understand how hard it would be to give up his blackberry, I don't own one myself, but I'd be lost without all of my gadgets, which I'm sure many would. And I like in his interview where he states that he wants to keep in touch with people outside the White House. But if it's going to pose any security risk which of course it could, I feel he may have to get rid of it.

It's not only about security .. his e-mail will go on PUBLIC RECORD!! I hope they find a way out .. we need him to stay connected to ordinary people's every day lives.

Al January 8th, 2009 10:18 am ET

Every President has stayed at the Blair House why isn't President Elect Barack Obama and his Family staying there? This is the aggervation I feel about the injustice ever time I here about things of this nature. President Bush has every means of keeping this tradition alive but he will not so much as lift a finger to help this man.
_____________________________________________________
As far as I have heard he will move into Blair House on the 15th which has been the traditional time.

If they take away his Blackberry, maybe he can get an iPhone instead. They're much better phones (in my opinion anyways), plus he can get the cowbell app to play with during those long State dinners.

Every word that the president says should be public that way there would no be any coruption.

John what in the world does giving an accaptance speech at the football stadium have to do with his Blackberry! Nada! The writer obviously had to write something and wrote this which in the grand scheme of our lives is insignifigant.

I totally understand... The blackberry is addicting and communication is so quick. Our government should be able to make his Blackberry total secure.

Let the man have his Blackberry. I'm sure he isn't going to be sending emails on national security issues. Keep it Mr. Prez and don't let them tell you otherwise!

Give it up Barry!!! Quit being so stupid... Those who think the BB is secure – learn a little more about how the whole process works. Nice to know Barry thinks he is different from all previous presidents and doesn't have to follow the same rules (NOT!). Maybe the SS won't follow their policies and procedures.... everyone knows where that would lead...

None of you realize how unsecure this item is no matter what they do.....but you know what, let him use it, and soon enough something bad will happen....just remember you made your negative comments 'cause you's wanted him to keep it...This is a joke......shouldn't you's be protesting in Oakland.

They should be able to find a way to fix the security issue so that Obama can keep in touch with the world. The very idea that he knows how and wants to use it should bring hope to people that he is different. These next 12 days can't go fast enough for me.

Its time for President Obama to act like a President instead of trying to be everyone's best friend. Listen to your advisors, they might just actually know what they're talking about!

Imagine, a president who wants to stay in touch with reality outside the Beltway...What a novel concept... and one which is sure to threaten those more comfortable hiding in their ivory towers...I say let him keep the BlackBerry...He can send me an email question anytime and I'll be more than happy to respond...

G.R.I.T.S. & Proud American, You guys took the words right out of my mouth !
Thanks !

I like how when Obama diverges from the "norm" or tradition of past presidents, critics cry that he isn't playing by the "rules" of being president. I didn't know there was a rulebook on being president in the first place, and after G-dub there's probably nothing left anyways.
To call him immature for not following the most arbitrary of "rules" only validates his divergence. I don't even see this as a political act.

BO Get over it and grow up and be a President and ditch the Blackberry. This just goes to show how much BO does not have a clue about what is going in the world and that it is for his own safety.......Now he is again showing his immaturity and inexperience......God Bless the USA and we are going to need with this so-called President coming to power. I am prepared to protect myself as BO wont be doing this!! We will be thanking Bush soon who has kept us safe for eight years!!!!!

Why so many thick-minded people around him? Isn't president also a human being?

21st Century now. Please adjust yourselves. Let him keep the blackberry. Create something to prevent hackers. Period.

Are you kidding me? He doesn't understand the National security Risks? Also, he will be in touch with the entire world at his fingertips. Did he not understand the job description before he applied? Grow-up and be the world leader we need!!!

the people who want him to keep his blackberry are obviously not concerned about terrorism–anyone can hack into his berry anywhere in the world. Makes me think thy really are living in a dream-world. The presidency belongs to all of us–not just him.

i understand the addiction to the blackberry, i had a blackberry for 1 year and everywhere i went my phone went, but as a president, i agree with the fact that he needs to give up his phone, the reason being why is the way that people now know how to hack into people's info is crazy to me, and i dont want my president to land in a scandal because of a phone, so Im sorry President-elect but i think its time to hand it over

It is refreshing to have a President that embraces technology and the ease that it provides to an otherwise hectic daily life.

If it can be hacked – it can be tracked.

It is not that he may be texting away state secrets, but that the location of POTUS is a state secret. It is not worth the risk. He may be chafing at the bubble, but it comes with the job and we all wish him the best.

Someone compared Obama to JFK. Wow. The only fresh ideas of JFK were going to the moon, which was pretty much already under way. He just made a grand speach about it. He screwed up the starting process of Vietnam. He screwed up the Bay of Pigs. He could not truly handle Cuba because at the end of the day, it was Americans who were hiding under their desks in fear of little ole Cuba. So, in regards to what I mentioned, Obama is like JFK. No experience and just a nice little poster face. He will do no good for this country and the next president, as did Bush, will have 8 years of mopping duties. Everything Bush delt with was due to Clinton neglect. It will be the same for the guy after Obama.

Umm, how are blackberry's NOT secure? Heck India wanted Blackberry to give them an access key to their network so that they could spy on every blackberry user in the country, because they couldn't figure out a way of hacking in themselves. Blackberry said no, part of the reason being that because of the way the system is designed, they couldn't provide them one.

Blackberrys are one of the most secure devices out there. The phones connect directly to Blackberry servers only which are very secure. Why do you think businesses love them? They have security features built in like if a Blackberry gets lost, it can instantly become disabled.

Give up the Blackberry Mr. PE; just give it up. Keeping the Blackberry will only give people who want to see you fail a reason to hack or hire hackers to infiltrate your equipment and "rearrange" whatever they want to. Give up the Blackberry and live by your on slogan – No Drama Obama!

Ok now, blackberries are truly addictive and yes, a way to stay connected. Obama is President now and unless someone can guarantee that there will be NO hacking, he is going to have to put his blackberry aside for the sake of our security. I worked hard to elect Obama but now it is time to become the President, we have needed you for 8 years!

Hmmmm Nobama seems to have a very addictive personality...first cigs and now a blackberry. And he admitted to doing cocaine and smoking doobage. Makes one wonder what else he might be addicted to, of course what else is left eh?

PE obama please give up the BB. Perhaps the makers of this device can produce something more secure especially for you. Citizens are depending on you now. I don't worry much about you remaining grounded. Michelle will make sure you stay as grounded and sweet as you are now. (Smile)

It's really simple folks........ The President needs to have his own communication satellites!!!

If we can't secure a blackberry, a device commonly used by many executives, then there is something seriously broken with this technology . This is part of a broader cyber-security issue.

I think in this case the President-elect needs to heed the advice of the Secret Service and his laywers and give up the Blackberry. I full well understand his desire to maintain some semblance of normalcy, but there is nothing normal about the Presidency as I'm sure he will soon find out. Perhaps as he goes about the business of the nation, he will begin to hold various town hall style meetings across the country where everyday Americans can present their views and questions to him in a more relaxed atmosphere. This is a smart man; he doesn't need the questions prepared in advance so he can respond to them!

Mari, you sound very similar to those you are blasting, just another case of liberal hypocrisy?

Boy are the losers coming out on this one. Still not over it are you. If the Blackberry is a part of the man then let him have it. It's not like he's going to be sending top secrets on it. If you think about it maybe he shouldn't be allowed to use a cell phone, computer and any other device that could be challenged in many ways. I'm for him having it . If it keeps that smile on his face than let it be.

How can the Secret Service and Obama's lawyers "demand" that he hand over his BlackBerry? How can the "make " him give up email? Obama is their boss, correct? Email and BB is the most effecient way of communicating in this day and age. He should be able to communicate in the way that he deems best for his job. The Secret Service needs to take a look in the mirror and realize exactly what sway they have.

Maybe we should just let him use the "go phone" instead. Or maybe one of those phones for kids where you can only dial 911 or your mom and dad.

I think we are smart enough to figure out how to make his blackberry secure, as long as his bill gets paid on time.

He's addicted to his Blackberry. He's addicted to cigarettes. The guy has a highly addictive personality which can only signal danger to the country down the line. People with addictive personalities often exhibit compulsive behavior and are risk takers. Is this the kind of guy we want with his finger on the button? Did we learn nothing these last 8 years from Bush the alcoholic (another addict)?

"Don't flatter yourself, BO. Millions of us would never compliment you or stand when you enter a room. And I'm a registered Democrat!"

I could be a registered Republican and it wouldn't make me a real Republican. Maybe I just want to spoil the primaries. You morons who act like registering with a political party gives you some kind of special credibility are hilarious. I'm sure there are a lot of registered Dixiecrats out there who claim to be Democrats but have backwards conservative views.

As the President of the United States – he must put the security of our nation before the ability to use his blackberry device. I would hope that our next President doesn't have to learn things the hard way by having his blackberry correspondence splattered accross the headlines before he agrees to give the blackberry device up.

It's time to grow up. Give up the blackberry.

He needs tostop using the device, it's compromisable, and knowing him, he'll put something on there that someone will intercept...He;s creating more of a security risk for himself than necessary.

it's WIRELESS people..."Transparency," is another of his buzzwords used to steal your vote. The president cannot possibly be transparent. So, yeah, for the sake of national security, if he even cares about it, he needs to give up the device. If not, hopefully someone in the Secret Service will continually jam it until he deems it useless. Man, this is unreal....we really ARE dealing with total inexperience here. Doesn't this guy know that's a major form of intelligence gathering is tapping wireless? Holy crap! Is he that green?

He's going to run the country, not a close circle of friends. Besides, have the new "Chief Performance Officer," ( you know, that WHOLE NEW branch of government created to reduce government spending?) carry it around and keep track of the cronies. I'm still waiting for the man to show some sign of leadership and effectivity, and stop seeing CNN reports of the little cute things.

Yall Obama haters are HILARIOUS....just bitter and rude for no reason...calling his supporters OBAMBOTS and whatnot...makes not difference..he will be "YOUR PRESIDENT TOO"..GET USE TO IT OR MOVE OUT OF THE COUNTRY...it's pretty simple....

statements such as:

"MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE HE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!

only proves that people don't really THINK beforehand..how is he hiding something if he is trying to keep his Blackberry which can be hacked into? Most SANE people try to get rid of things to HIDE stuff..they don't try to keep them....seriously folks...LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Geez, let him keep it!

It is hard to believe some of you people how are so bitter. No matter what it is you find something nasty or mean to say. Let Barack keep it for everyday ordinary chatting just no state secrets. I am sure he is smart enough to control how he uses it.
Come on you haters. If you have nothing productive to say just keep quiet and stop the pure vile.

Staying in flow with everyday life......connected to the real world. Come on now, what fantasy world does Obama think he lives in. For the next four years, his everyday life will be his presidency and believe it or not, THIS IS THE REAL WORLD!! It's full of hate, bigotry, war, famine, terror, disease and death. He made his bed, now he must lie in it. There is no escape; no Blackberry to hide in. So, be the man and give up your toys. There will be time to play later when your old, gray and no longer president. Hopefully that will be after only four years, because with an immature attitude towards material possessions like yours you can't handle the seriousness of the issues facing America. Like my grandmother always said – "talk is cheap"

You guys on here can't help yourself but to be negative about every action Obama makes. I cannot for the life of me think why the constant bashing is necessary, he hasn't even become president yet, and most of you think he is way over his head. He is way smarter than the dumb idiot we have in there now, and the jury is still out on weather he will actually be a good president. Most of our past good president came into the office with no experience. So, please give the man a chance, unless the one's bashing him have other motives, like because he is a black man. I sincerely hope that is not the case.

Edward.

HAHAHAHA...how it must hurt his pride to know he has no rights at all now!!! We own him! He works for us, not us for him....and with the looming Depression he will be working for free before long. Nobama, no more privacy! You wanted it and you got it....your the middleman with no rights or privacies..how does it feel?

Listen to you people. He's grounded because he want to keep his Blackberry? His ability to keep in touch with people electronicaly make him down to earth? Come on.

News flash: People, real every day working people, who are well grounded, down to earth and value personal communication in order to stay connected don't rely on Blackberrys or Treos or chat rooms or blogs. They talk to each other, read newspapers and occasionaly watch the local news.

Lastly, if the Secret Service asks the President to do something can't he just do it without putting up a big fight. I gotta think there are better things he could be spending his time on.

Mr. President Elect, your staff is only trying to shield you and your office from accountability by claiming plausible deniability. "What did the President know and when did he know it?" All of your predecessors have avoided having to answer this question, you should be no different.

"There you Obambots go, since I work in the field of IT, this data can be stolen no matter how well it is encrypted or secured, it is a NEVER ENDING BATTLE against hackers. "

I also work in the field of IT. If you have no data worth stealing, there's no point making something secure. That's why not every web site is https. If he doesn't have anything relating to national secrets on it, if he doesn't keep any sensitive information on it, if he just uses it to keep in touch, who cares if it gets hacked? Somebody might release to the world Obama talking to his girls about school! Oh no!

I thought the Obama team would stop communicating with me once the election was over. Boy was I wrong. I get daily updates on what's going on with the transition. A lot of the information I get is not reported by the media. This is change. I love it.

I hear a lot of folks on here who want President Obama to follow the rules... I would be afraid that the would want to be uber secretive, tight-lipped, and disconnected.. whoa we just had an administration that did that.. look at where that got us.. at least if he is using a blackberry we know he is talking to someone and we could always find out how.. do you know how many boyfriends, husbands, girlfriends, and wives get busted by what they do on handhelds.. at least we would be able to know what the prez is doing.. this seems trivial.. lets figure out how to get my 401K back in the green, black or positive!

How can you not love this guy?
How about not using it for anything secretive?
We finally have a real live individual who has a brain in the White House.

I understand the President-Elects addiction to his Blackberry, but for his own security, he needs to give it up. I am sure that he will. It's just a little hard for a 'tech junkie" to withdraw.

Let him keep his Blackberry! He is a different man and going to be a different type of President than the ones before him. Keep in touch with the real world, Mr. Obama-we are behind you!

As I read these comments, I realize, these people must not have a life, to actually write this stupidity. First of all, if its not a big deal, why do you even bother to write? Second, you do realize that someone without a computer/bberry under his circumstances does loses touch with the outer world.

Another point is, we are reading the transcript. You can't tell if PE was saying it in a humorous fashion. This are going to be a long 8 years if people keep whining like they do!

"from a man that rented out a football stadium for his acceptance speech. do as i say, not as i do at it's finest."

He rented out a football stadium because a lot of people wanted to be there. It was a nice thing to do. Deal with it.

If it means keeping us safe and protected and have our information kept private. GIVE IT UP! YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULES WHEN IT COMES TO THIS ONE! Look at what happen to Sara Palin, a college student got into her information and she was a canadite, imagine a terroist group getting hold of OUR INFORMATION> THe information in no longer is but OURS...KEEP IT PRIVATE

He can have his Blackberry as long as he uses it like everybody else who work for the government or on government programs: follow the security safeguarding rules. I don't see any problem with that. He needs to stay connected. Period.

By the way, the president is the boss of the executive branch. What's happening here is that the Secret Service is trying to convince the president-elect that it's wiser for someone in his position not to communicate by e-mail or blackberry because neither is as secure as other methods they have available.

But to be sure....the president makes these rules. If he decides "I'm going to do it," that's totally under his authority. The Secret Service does not give commands to the president–the president commands the Secret Service.

POOR BABY – FIRST HIS CIGARETTES NOW THE BLACKBERRY.
THERE MUST BE A WAY TO KEEP HIS BLACKBERRY. HE NEEDS
A LIFE OF HIS OWN TOO. ITS HARD ENOUGH TO KICK THE CIG
HABIT NOW THIS.

The security issue might have less to do with the communications, and more to do with the ability for someone to track his location via the device...

Well Don, you speak for yourself..millions MORE DID vote for him...if they didn't, he wouldn't be POTUS now would he?

He wanted to be president!!! Now he will see it's not as easy as people think!!!!

stay in touch with us, Barak..you are right on

The Secret Services's point is that it is hackable, so why are people asking what he has to hide? I think as long as there isn't any state business or anything about his itinerary transmitted, let him have his BlackBerry. Maybe his family uses it to contact him when he is on the road. There's no harm in that. Although, if he takes it out during a state dinner, I hope the Agent in Charge slaps him upside the head and tells him he's being rude. (Some cell phone/BlackBerry users are a little clueless when it comes to being polite with their technology use.)

Wow, half the posters here are really bitter, without the man even having gotten into office yet. You're reading a WHOLE LOT into this whole thing.

On the other hand, Mr. Obama, your tax-dollar funded salaried time should not be going towards Twitter updates.

@ Obama-mama, first of all "heirs" are people who inherit your money when you die. Perhaps you meant "he does not put on airs" which would mean a facade. You can go to dictionary.com if you don't understand some of the words I use.
Second, I have been in the IT business for 20 years and for all you young hip people who think that Obama's use of a blackberry is cool, these devices can be easily compromised and given his position, would be a major security risk.

The GPS capabilities built into most BlackBerries might provide an accurate target for those that will want to do our President harm.

Think, people.

I don't blame him for not wanting to stay in tune with what's going on! He is the President of the future! I'm with u on that one Mr. President Elect.

Everytime I read comments people leave I feel so bad for all Americans. I never realized we, you, are so bitter and closed minded. DON'T WE WANT A PRESIDENT TO BE DIFFERENT? Look where staying the same has gotten us. Small and closed minded. National security has a problem with internet connections? Good grief it's 2009 people. If you can't protect a man because he has a phone then how are you going to protect America? There are bad people out there, granted, but they aren't going anywhere and they are getting smarter. Isn't it time our National Securty caught up????

Why can't he keep his blackberry? Everybody knows that nothing is really secure. Obama is intelligent enough to know that he cannot use his blackberry for state matters. Besides, the blackberry might be his constant connection to his kids as he is going to be constantly busy.

Matt January 8th, 2009 10:30 am ET

I blame John McCain…after all, he invented the stupid thing.
-----------
I also blame Al Gore. He invented the internet!

I think he should keep his Blackberry as I think he has the good sense to know how to use it with security issues in mind (of course, incoming mail may be more the issue then).

The man is not an idiot, I doubt that he intends to send state secrets over his blackberry or love notes to his wife, and I'm sure he knows that whatever he sends could one day end up on the front page of the Post! Let him have the blackberry, what does it matter if they hack it if he doesn't conduct the country's business on it? As long as he remembers that whatever he puts on it has the potential to be leaked, I say let him be...it's nice to have a saavy president again!!

George E January 8th, 2009 10:22 am ET

Maybe Michelle can let him use hers.
--------------------
She might have to give hers up, too. And cellphones for the kids? Forget it!

I'm very connected with the world and I dont have a Blackberry, cell phone or IPod. I have email that I can check daily as well as Internet but I dont need a constant flow of information that for all intents and purposes is flawed/shaped by the media when the POTUS should be listening to his advisors and experienced personnel. The info he recvs from his Blackberry is probably not going to be worthwhile compared to that of the real people he deals with daily. If his 'addiction' interferes with his daily interaction with the public, get rid of it. The POTUS was never meant to read every email, letter or shake every hand. His job is to guide the country as a whole and doing so via Blackberry is not progressive, its alienating. Barack is not special; he's human and will make mistakes like the rest of us.

For the person who said Republicans and Bush are behind on technology and so forth, you are an idiot. Liberals always try and toss everyone under some kind of brand. Because Bush was more concerned with doing his job instead of using a cell phone you think we are behind on the times? Could it be he had more important things to fight about instead of the right to use a blackberry? There is a reason for them telling him not to use such a thing and for Obama to fight them on it shows how he feels he can do whatever he wants. The secret service is trying to protect him and the country. How about he helps them help him and us.

I was wrong about Obama, by the way. I said the only thing he wanted to fight for was making America a welfare state. Well, turns out, he also wants to fight to use his cell phone. What a joke.

Time to give up the Crackberry. It's part of being POTUS.

" He is just very internet savvy and that's what I like about our new president versus the republicans and Bush. They are not up to speed when it comes to technology. "

The Secret Service, the White House, and matters of national security are what keep the highest executive in government from using a WIRELESS and potentially UNSECURED email system. This includes past presidents.

This is the highest office in the land. Messages to and from the president often come on paper and through the Chief of Staff so as to avoid off-the-cuff replies and keep things official. No one is saying that we shouldn't have the President join the real world and shoot from the hip his replies, but, there is a delicate balance between national security and Presidential "savvy".

Those who disagree with Obama probably don't own a Blackberry. They are highly addictive! I don't know what took me so long getting mine! Lighten up folks

Sorry first time I left a comment,
To Al ...do you not understand your comment.."Every President has stayed at the Blair House why isn't President Elect Barack Obama and his Family staying there?"
He is going to stay there, G.W. is not trying to keep "the man down"
it was already reserved when it was requested (by Obama) outside the alotted time.
Maybe you think it is a entitlement. Catch a clue

I hate to say it, but he's going to need to ditch the Blackberry.
One thing we need to understand: If a hacker really wants to get in, he'll get in. There's always a back door. Ask anybody in the IT business.

I'm sorry, Obama, but the Blackberry has to go, along with your driving priveleges.

@ WELCOME TO THE OBAMA SHOW...........

Your posts are consistent at least, always hateful, mean or just a bunch of lies.

MOST if not ALL the CONservatives claim to be Christian, I do not know what Bible you are reading........ but JESUS is clear .........

Love one another as I have loved you!

Also one of the the Ten Commandments is "do not bear FALSE witness" which is something the Republicans are not so good at.

LISTEN UP: AMERICA REJECTED THE GOP'S VILE POLITICS OF
HATE.......LIES........ FEAR..........AND ..........DIVISION.

GIVE IT A REST........ OR HAVE THE BRAIN TO OFFER SOLUTIONS, THANKS TO BUSH OUR NATION IS A ..............DISASTER!

I hear he need to keep the Blackberry so he can keep up with Idiot republicans.

This is a good example where we need to push innovation to accommodate need. Make the unit more secure, and let RIM share that with the broader community. Everyone benefits. It's time to stop managing from constraints, and to start managing from possibilities. I like that Obama asks, "Why not?", rather than taking the easy route.

George W. Bush is a dingle berry.

Occasionally, in spite of ourselves, we somehow manage to stumble forward in the right direction.

I'm surprised W knew how to use email. I would love to see his email address...probably something like Oil4US4W@yahoo.com

I blame John McCain...after all, he invented the stupid thing.

It is quite evident that this new President wants to stay in tune with the people. Maybe as a compromise, he can have one of his aides or his body double carry his blackberry for him if those immediately around him do not have to give up theirs. He can have them correspond with him verbally...Oh ....that kinda sounds silly doesn't it.

He should have his blackberry.

i voted for obama but i agree with secret service – there is no way to keep his blackberry secure – NO WAY – whatever he says to people via email will be a issue as they would have to secure everyone he emails email/blackberry – more problems than it is worth – you just can't do it....sorry – it is a matter of national security

Let him use his BB. He is a smart, wise adult and he can abide by some common sense rules about what not to send. It is time that we had a President who was not Isolated by his office. Isn't that what many of us have been complaining about in the past. Let Barack live in the real world to the extent that he can. We will all be the better for it. and he is wise enough not to use it foolishly

Come on, do you really think as Pres. he won't stay in touch with the real world? Is he going to wake up one day and say, holy crap, I just saw on the TV that the economy in the US sucks?

He is the POTUS. He can have any information he needs without looking at his crackberry.

There are many ways around this issue. Why can't Obama have a blackberry that is secure. I actually have 3 blackberry's(for work) none of them are tied to me, my personal address, or corporate address... it is for me to stay in touch with certain people.. that can not know where i am...

"ways where, you know, people aren't just complimenting you or standing up when you enter into a room"

Don't flatter yourself, BO. Millions of us would never compliment you or stand when you enter a room. And I'm a registered Democrat!

outmanuever the treasonous infiltrators surrounding you

who think they can puppeteer you into illegal, never mind immoral and inhumane, agendas of theirs.

I agree, that any thing that keeps out President grounded is a good thing. After 8 years of Darth Vader "Dick Cheney" and GW "Not "George Washington". A president, with new needs and fresh now a day approaches is need. JFK, brought a fresh new hope to the country with young moving forward idea's. These to old outdate politians that date back to the 60's and the means of thinking is like going to Epcot Center, nothing new just the same old rides for a higher price. Let him keep his Blackberry, just update the means in which he communicates through it.

i worked hard for the President-elect's victory, but he needs to get over this addiction to his balckberry. Their are other ways of staying in touch with the people than through a blackberry. National Security should be first in his mind, not his blackberry addiction.

technology is full of evil boojums keep them away from my president

what does science give you

terror

Alfred, Why "just follow the rules" if they don't make sense. Question the rules and maybe even come up with a solution to the concern while adding value to the post. Obama will soon be the leader of the free world, he will be very involved in changing the rules if need be and not just follow blindly like your home boy Bush.

If this was Bush refusing to give up something, everyone would be calling him names and going on the offensive after him. But since you democrats are such hypocrites, they think it's okay for their new lord and savior to break the rules.

The fact is that it's a potential security breach. He's just being stubborn. He can keep in touch other ways.

And I'd just like to point out that he is supposedly all about "staying in touch with the people" and that's why he wants to keep his BlackBerry, but during the actual election, it was Obama who declined McCain's town hall meetings that were designed SPECIFICALLY to get into touch with "the people".

I feel the president should stay connected to the rest of the world. don't they have a way of securing his line from hackers. fight for your blackberry Mr president.

There you Obambots go, since I work in the field of IT, this data can be stolen no matter how well it is encrypted or secured, it is a NEVER ENDING BATTLE against hackers.

There are rules and reasons why this is, but he is "so a man of he people and just like us".

Maybe he needs his blackberry to think just like he needs a teleprompter to uh, uh, uh speak without saying um, um, uh, uh every other word (maybe that's why he "you know" likes Princess Caroline).

This garbage with agreeing with every thought, idea and word that this person says over and over is totally scary, but after the exit polls suggested that many Obama voters in college didn't know who the Speaker of the house or the Secretary of Defense was along with William Ayers, pretty much says it all.

Who vetted Richardson, Keith Olbermann?

Gee, life's rough. If he didn't want to give up his little luxuries, he shouldn't have run for President. Poor guy! What a hard lesson to learn.

Please BO, put the Crackberry down. You are not a child....or maybe you are.

He will not be able to check his facebook 24/7 if he's w/out his precious crackberry.....c'mon!!!

The man is real. He wants to stay connected to the people. He is smart educated. I can see why he wants to hold on to his Blackberry. But lets not forget, he knows he has to put it down. He our Prez!!!! I wish him well.

you people should be happy the next president takes that approach to staying grounded and connected. maybe he can use the internet(s), or "the google" to check and see how little jobs are out there.

Chomsky / Vidal 08

Oh......just another quick add. Did no one tell him that from now on everything on his phone, e-mail, Blackberry is all public record? He might also realize that as Commander in Chief there are security issues that need not be discussed on a mobile phone.

I like this part. You know, you could never connect to President Bush whenever he stepped off a plane or helicopter because his chest and nose were too high in the air.

Obama is making a good point here. This is the 21st century and Presidents need to be connected like the rest of the country. Maybe it will make things go a little faster than usual and the federal government will be a little more green in the process.

On the other hand, I'm thinking..."Does Obama understand that he is about to become President of the United States?"

KEEP THE BLACKBERRY AND UPGRADE TO KEEP HACKERS OUT.

Why don't you just follow the rules instead of creating your own, Obama?

What, a Blackberry makes a man of the people. Most Americans don't care or even can afford a Blackberry for personal use. Get a life people, your all brain washed with the notion, that we need a Blackberry or an E-mail account to stay in touch. Bull crap what we Americans need is no more CNN news and Ted Turner. Leave Mr. second coming alone and let him have his Blackberry, remember he's making history.

The real message is...'he wants to stay grounded' which means he wants to stay in touch with OUR reality and represent US. Thank you PE Obama.

Those surrounding the next President should be encouraging the use of electronic communication not "dumbing down" the PE by taking the same device that keeps him connected to everyday folks.

I guess Mr. Obama is getting the hard dose of reality that being the president is actually a job........a hard job..........and not all about smiling for the cameras. There are rules there for a reason and whether he believes it or not, the world isn't going to love him. Maybe he should have thought about what being the president really is all about before he ran for office.

I personnally feel that the secret service should try an find a way to accomadate the president elect when it come to his use of his black-berry system as long as that there isnt any danger to the president himself nor to the security of this country envolved with him being allowed to do so . I also feel that the president elect makes a very good point with regards to his being able to keep in touch with ordinary everyday life events an his not being so insullated from the ordinary situations that revolves around a persons day to day life. perhaps that this might be a part of the reason that this country is now in the shape that it is in . is that the current president might have been too insulated from the ordinary american people an the issues that are and were important in their everyday lives thank you

I am surprised to hear about the Blackberry restriction. It makes sense if you think about hackers being able to find out vital information that is important for national security...But this is the reason why previous presidents are so out of touch.

In order for the President Elect's personal info or communications to be completely "un-hackable", he would have to stay away from all PCs and Macs, and not use email of any kind. This is an unreasonable request.

I am with Obama on this one. What is so insecure about a blackberry? Its not like its going to blow up by a spam email. They can make it secure from hackers. In today's world not being part of the electronic communications is like living in the stone age! Go Obama!!

Maybe Michelle can let him use hers.

@ Obama Show...

Geez dude.. does EVERY one of your posts have to have a grain of nastiness to it?

"ways that aren't scripted, ways that aren't controlled, ways where, you know, people aren't just complimenting you or standing up when you enter into a room, ways of staying grounded,"

from a man that rented out a football stadium for his acceptance speech. do as i say, not as i do at it's finest.

i don't see a problem with him wanting to use his Blackberry. No he doesn't have anything to hide. He is just very internet savvy and that's what I like about our new president versus the republicans and Bush. They are not up to speed when it comes to technology. Go Obama! The republican party needs to get their act together. Nothing but old ideas and behind in technology. What a shame!!

Addicted to his blackberry just like he is addicted to cigarettes! God, glad to see someone with a lot of will power is in a high office!

Glad to see personal convenience is more important than national security!

I hear you. I wouldn't want to give up my Blackberry either. I'm on my fifth one. If you're in business, and on the road, it's hard to give it up. It keeps you connected and you are more productive because of it.

Another candidate for cell-phone rehab. I sit in airports and watch people talk on their phones for hours, essentially saying nothing but hi-howya-doin. I will be glad when I retire. My cell phone will retire too.

I agree with Barack on this !

Every President has stayed at the Blair House why isn't President Elect Barack Obama and his Family staying there? This is the aggervation I feel about the injustice ever time I here about things of this nature. President Bush has every means of keeping this tradition alive but he will not so much as lift a finger to help this man.

WELCOME TO THE OBAMA SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!! January 8th, 2009 10:13 am ET

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE HE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!
===================================================
How would keeping Obama connected imply he has something to hide?

As long as he remembers Blackberries aren't totally secure, and doesn't send any state secrets, why shouldn't he be allowed to keep it to e-mail friends and check the internet? It's not like he's going to just be sitting in an office all day like the rest of us with easy access to the 'net!

"I've got to look for every opportunity to do that – ways that aren't scripted, ways that aren't controlled, ways where, you know, people aren't just complimenting you or standing up when you enter into a room, ways of staying grounded," he said.

That says alot about the man. This would keep life real and put a dent in the bubble at least, since he will not be conducting official business on the Blackberry.

Surely some ISP can come up with a secure avenue for the President to keep his Blackberry.

Everyone has to learn that there are rules to follow even whoever is president of the United States.

There is a good side to winning, but there might also be a side one, personally, doesn't like.

Mr. Obama isn't acting as a grown up if he makes a fuss over keeping his blackberry.

After all the only thing that people are trying to do is keep him safe.

I think that is important enough for him to give up his blackberry.

every day people lives with their blackberry...so why not the president of the united states? this is not low intelligent GW Bush or out of touch John Mcsame!

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE HE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm 100% with the President on this one... Make this BlackBerry super-secure, but let him use it.

That's what I like about the PE..He doesn't put on heirs and he is down to earth. He wants to be a man of the people.....