Obama lawyers prohibit staff from using instant messaging in the White House.
Obama lawyers prohibit staff from using instant messaging in the White House.
Politico’s Ben Smith reports that Obama lawyers broke some bad news to the incoming White House staff at a briefing Friday morning: they will not be allowed to communicate with each other and the outside world through the use of instant messaging. “They just told us flat out we couldn’t IM in the White House,” complained one senior staffer. The reason? The Presidential Records Act would likely require the disclosure of “instant messages discussing government business.” Matt Yglesias argues that, in light of rapid advances in technology, the right approach would be to “update the law.” He adds, “If the conclusion of your legal analysis is that the President of the United States can’t have an email account or a Blackberry, then that means you need a new law.”
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Now WHY didn’t Bush think of just using IM???
January 18th, 2009 at 1:11 pm“Gonzo fire all dem MFs NOW”
F facts, can we nukm – darth”
Bush has been using IM speak for the past eight years.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:16 pmOr maybe they want people to quit playing with their phones and get some work done. The constant blip-beep and watching grown adults tapping out messages on teeny keyboards is sort of pathetic. If its important, go talk to them. If its kind of important, call them. If its a lets do lunch, get back to work.
Besides FISA records everything
January 18th, 2009 at 1:27 pmIf the people who serve in any presidential administration would remember that they are there to serve the public, not themselves, and not the President, then they should not have to worry about what they say in their e-mails and other electronic communication. It’s not like a job in the private sector.
The phrase often thrown around is that “they serve at the pleasure of the President.” The correct phrase should be “they serve The People at the pleasure of the President.” I think the Bush Administration lost its way when they forgot that (or ignored it from the beginning, whichever).
January 18th, 2009 at 1:28 pmOn the other hand, perhaps Obama simply wants to encourage face to face conversations for his staff.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:38 pmDo Matt Yglesias and Faiz not understand the difference between Instant Messaging and email? What else can we assume after reading this hyperbolic statement about not allowing the President a Blackberry or an email account?
IM /= email! And, while we’re at it, it also does not equal SMS, text messaging.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:42 pmThere is no technological reason IMs can’t be recorded for posterity. It’s ridiculous to think the technology can’t handle the legal requirements.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:57 pmOn the other hand, perhaps Obama simply wants to encourage face to face conversations for his staff.
If I’m not mistaken, I think Obama wants to keep his Blackberry. Not sure if that is any indication of Obama’s view on text messaging or just email. Good point tigger.
Could the government not have their own “special” devices that record everything, issued to all government officials?
January 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pmWith training about what communications are subject to disclosure there should be no problem using IM and email in the White House. Many employers archive email, instant messages, and even Web requests. It should not come as a surprise that the White House would be doing the same.
I’m sure the article and commentators mentions the Blackberry because there has been a lot of press about Obama’s attempts to hold onto his Blackberry so he can communicate with his children. Since the Blackberry is capable of email, instant messaging, and SMS the distinction seems irrelevant.
The archivist should be able to distinguish between communications that are public records and Mr. Obama’s private communications with his wife and children. With the children in particular I would presume that you could label all communication private given their ages. Some communication with the first lady may be considered public records since she will serve in an official capacity.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:13 pmThe Blackberry is that special device. The United States Congress has special Blackberry email servers which control communication between congress people and their staff. Official notices are now sent primarily through Blackberry. I understand as a Congress person a Blackberry is not optional. However, of course one of your staff may be in charge of it. The White House would probably need its own server.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:15 pmI disagree with Matt. While it might make sense now to refine the statute, how about when the next crazy gets elected and uses IM to circumvent the law?
Nope. The Presidential Records Act exists for a reason. If anything it needs to be tightened to adjust to Shrub’s rampant abuses.
The Bush experience has made me far more cynical than I have been since Nixon.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:24 pmImagine, a President who wants to keep something personal. Might even want to talk to his kids or friends? I would think they would applaud his using a ‘personal’ phone for ‘personal’ communications.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:29 pmThis ban on IMing and Blackberry is totally assisine. What year was the law written? Why would we want our Chief Executive curtailed in how he communicates? What future techonological innovations will be denied future Presidents? I think Obama should fight this; the law does indeed need updating.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:34 pmfletc3her Says @ 9
January 18th, 2009 at 2:39 pmI agree all this technology is easily harnessed to transparency . It’s simple a question of doing it. Cheney and Bush abused the The Presidential Records Act to a huge extent and nobody ever did crap about it. It’s all there. As to the comments @3 come on out of the cave there is a whole new world out here
Umm… They are aware that you can save IMs, right?
January 18th, 2009 at 3:24 pmIs it so hard to pick up a phone…?
January 18th, 2009 at 3:26 pmZooey brings up a good point. IMs are more valuable for archiving than a phone conversation, any day.
January 18th, 2009 at 3:32 pmUse cans with strings.
January 18th, 2009 at 3:43 pmCorporations have been archiving e-mail for over a decade. Bush subverted government servers by having his staffers use RNC e-mail accounts. Then he lost 15 million, conveniently around the Plame leak and Hurricane Katrina.
It’s the manipulation of communication that’s the problem.
This is likely a risk management decision, i.e. which communications might be the most unfavorable to the Obama team, should they get out.
Obama’s high standards should keep that to a minimum.
January 18th, 2009 at 4:10 pmBuckie Boy Says:
Use cans with strings.
Carrier pigeons.
January 18th, 2009 at 4:11 pmCan’t the president overrule his attorneys? Why yes, he can. They’re just being typical chickenshit government attorneys who say “no” to everything. Because, you know, Something Bad Might Happen.
January 18th, 2009 at 5:21 pmOMG! N IM!
Judging from the knowledge the attorneys seem to have, Obama should communicate in SMS / IM speak. The attorneys would need to hire translators.
January 18th, 2009 at 8:37 pmZooey Says:
Is it so hard to pick up a phone…?
January 18th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
_________
No, but it’s much easier to transfer files or collaborate on text of a document several people in different buildings are working on over IM than over a phone conversation. Sure, you can do the same thing via email or fax or carrier pigeon, but for convenience nothing beats instant messaging.
I can understand the concerns about using a COTS IM system such as Trillian or AIM in the White House – it’s a nightmare from a system security standpoint, since these tools go out looking for ports where they can reach the Internet.
The ideal solution would be to create a secured, .gov-only IM system that would allow staff to communicate within and between government offices, but not with the outside world.
January 18th, 2009 at 9:41 pmHoodathunk Says:
Or maybe they want people to quit playing with their phones and get some work done.
The bulk of their job is communicating with each other.
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Wayne A. Schneider Says:
If the people who serve in any presidential administration would remember that they are there to serve the public, not themselves, and not the President, then they should not have to worry about what they say in their e-mails and other electronic communication.
I’m of two minds about this. On the one hand, given the kinds of activities that Presidents often try to hide, I think that having everything available to potential subpeona, FOIA request or historical disclosure is pretty important. On the other hand, we could use that logic to say that the White House should record all phone calls and have recorded video in every room. At what point do we draw the line between archivable document and just a conversation?
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tigger Says:
There is no technological reason IMs can’t be recorded for posterity. It’s ridiculous to think the technology can’t handle the legal requirements.
True, but they’d have to implement an archival system that’s up to public standards. The reason the White House is often so behind the technological curve is that for whatever it does, the underlying nuts and bolts of any system have to be deliberated and approved as well as the usage.
But given what we’ve come to know about Obama’s tech usage, I think he’s likely to make that a priority. He might need a bit of help from Congress (appropriations) to do it up right, but I think it’s long overdue.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:34 pmsasha Says:
Can’t the president overrule his attorneys? Why yes, he can. They’re just being typical chickenshit government attorneys who say “no” to everything. Because, you know, Something Bad Might Happen.
Better than Bush’s Office of Legal Counsel doing the exact opposite.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:36 pm.
You got to love lawyers. I bet many of younger crowd will not be able to contain their IM selves.
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe hates
the principles of FREEDOM
fascism comes from The Right
January 18th, 2009 at 11:35 pmthat is the lie of The Left
.
USpace Says:
Your ignorant, incoherent posts are insufferably stupid. You are a complete moron who NEVER makes sense even with your pathetic lies. You are a punk and the God of the Universe wants you to stop associating YOUR stupidity with his name. Please stop dropping your stinking piles here. Go back to the little kids table where morons like you belong.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:40 amIt will be hard to control people IM’ing as it is an integral part of daily life now… time to update the laws and set some SOP in place…
http://yourobamaupdate.blogspot.com/
January 19th, 2009 at 3:13 amI think they shouldn’t use their PDAs for government business. People are used to using these devices in an informal way and ROFLMAO HI2U is not the sort of info you want to have recorded in the public record for all time.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:36 amOne problem here:
What the hell has email got to do with IM?
IM != Email.
Someone’s a dumbass.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:40 pm