Now Mrs. O wants to keep her BlackBerry too, just like President Obama

Now comes word, not via cellphone, that First Lady Michelle Obama is at least as addicted, if not more so, to her BlackBerry than the First Husband.

The new president had to get special permission and security gear on his device, one, to prevent message interception and, two, to avoid being tracked. Which makes sense in this world.

Most of the attention on the First Family's First Devices has focused on how tech-savvy and hip and swell it is. But less attention has been focused on the fact that all of their communications become part of the presidential records. That's why most elected official foreswear e-mail while in office.

Think about it. E-mail is about the most casual form of modern communications, after grunting and finger gestures.

In fact, right now go to your deleted e-mail file. Skim through that junk. "How u?" "Where u?" "gonna callin sick 2day 2 tired." "Zup w/hillary?" "Pls delete me from your email list!" "Is norah 4 real?" How bout dose sox!" "nice tie! :-D" "Special Male Enhancement Offer Today Only."

How would you like all of that stuff preserved for the rest of the country's history in the National Archives?

What a treat historians and our kids will have someday when the Obama administration records are released. And someone gets to comb through every husbandly and wifely e-mail and text message.

While we're on the subject, our Tech blog folks assembled a photo gallery of the Great Change Agent with his BBerry. It's right here.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Related items: The wondrous ways Obama's Washington works -- and doesn't get it; Dramatic tapes of Hilda Solis-White House emergency radio chatter; What now for Michael Steele's new Republican Party?

Talk abt txtg. U can go here and register for Twitter alerts on each new Ticket item. RSS feeds are available over here. And we're now on Kindle as well.

Photo credits: Associated Press

Comments

[Ray Plowden]

Our former Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, now has second thoughts about text messaging. His messages gave evidence that sent him to jail.