John Podesta takes to The LA Times to defend Obama's Blackberry:An off-line Obama isn't just bad for Barack. It's bad for all of us.The president's ability to reach outside his inner circle gives him access to fresh ideas and constructive critics; it underscores the difference between political "victories" and actual solutions; and it brings the American people into a battle we can only win by working together.
And beyond the Blackberry's obvious utility for soliciting feedback and criticism and ideas, connectivity is simply a feature of modern life. And retaining some connection to modern life is the sort of thing we tend to demand in our presidents. If Obama's Blackberry was outfitted with a special program that delivered the daily prices of a gallon of gasoline, a quart of milk, and a dozen eggs, could he keep it then? But Podesta's op-ed suffers because it's not clear on the culprit. There's not some nefarious and shadowy "them" trying to grasp Obama's Blackberry. Rather, there's a nefarious and shadowy "it." More specifically, the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which was written 24 years before the Blackberry was brought to market. If Obama is to keep his Blackberry, Congress needs to reconsider the act. The speed and agility of the White House is too important to be hamstrung by a post-Watergate law that never considered the importance of cell phones, text messaging, IMs, or even e-mail.
