Our old friend Anne E. Kornblut, Washington Post Staff writer, is at it again with her latest outbreak of Bush Derangement Syndrome. This time she and the Washington Post have teamed up to try to paint the Bush White House as technological Neanderthals in theirs headlined "Staff Finds White House in the Technological Dark Ages." The headline alone tells readers that those poor, poor Obama staffers have come in expecting to get right to work only to find it a mess thanks to Bush's failure to update the tech capacity of the White House. Only, that impression would be simply incorrect. Bush was restricted by certain laws and rules that prevented him from bringing White House operations into the iPhone age.
Kornblut continues the charade in the first few paragraphs.
If the Obama campaign represented a sleek, new iPhone kind of future, the first day of the Obama administration looked more like the rotary-dial past. Two years after launching the most technologically savvy presidential campaign in history, Obama officials ran smack into the constraints of the federal bureaucracy yesterday, encountering a jumble of disconnected phone lines, old computer software, and security regulations forbidding outside e-mail accounts. What does that mean in 21st-century terms? No Facebook to communicate with supporters. No outside e-mail log-ins. No instant messaging. Hard adjustments for a staff that helped sweep Obama to power through, among other things, relentless online social networking.
If this was all that a reader took in before moving on, it would be easy to be misinformed. The truth is that, instead of simply not bothering to upgrade, the Bush administration had legal reasons and budgetary concerns that prevented them from turning the White House into a shiny Apple Store. To Kornblut's credit she then went into the messy failure of the purported most transparent administration in history for updating the Obama Web pages that are supposed to show America his actions and schedule. Kornblut properly notes that the lack of updating as promised was not quite in keeping with campaign rhetoric. "Nor did the site reflect the transparency Obama promised to deliver," Kornblut said. Unfortunately, it wasn't until the end of the story that we finally see Kornblut admitting that the lack of a tech paradise in the White House is partly due to the legal issues that force this Luddite existence on the president's office.
Senior advisers chafed at the new arrangements, which severely limit mobility -- partly by tradition but also for security reasons and to ensure that all official work is preserved under the Presidential Records Act
This is the main reason that George W. Bush ceased using email and computers once he became president. Chances are President BlackBerry will eventually find that he will have to suffer the same no-computers fate in many more ways than he wants to. Let’s face reality about computers and the president, any president. Thanks to the over-use of the attack dogs called “special prosecutors,” and the overweening interference of the Executive Branch by Congress, no president is even going to bother using e-mail and computers very much once they realize the troubles it will bring. In May of 2008, Bush even claimed that he looks forward to using e-mail to contact friends and family again after he leaves office. In a report on the president’s remarks, a New York Times blog reported that “Mr. Bush stopped e-mailing when he entered the White House, citing security worries, and the Oval Office does not have a computer in it.” Unfortunately, Kornblut does not elucidate these salient points well favoring casting President Bush as a computer illiterate.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
No texting, or sexting in the WH
January 23, 2009 - 02:42 ET by thebutlerdiditNo Facebook??? Did we just elect a President or a 13 yr old girl?
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
LMAO! Well, I think 'we'
January 24, 2009 - 04:41 ET by RR GOPLMAO!
Well, I think 'we' did manage to elect a rather spoiled, arrogant, moody teenage boy in a man's body (and one with great pecs, too!).
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
What happened to the good
January 23, 2009 - 02:51 ET by jdhawkWhat happened to the good old days, when the "press" fradulently made cars catch on fire.
Korbutt - doing her part to put WaPo out of business by producing crap nobody wants to read . . .
Good morning hawk
January 23, 2009 - 03:05 ET by cocodrieThe old media is into magic now. they just changed a Chicago crook into a president.
Jesus Loves You
Phone lines everywhere??
January 23, 2009 - 03:00 ET by MarsloPhone lines everywhere??
Once again WaPo has convinced me Bush ruined America, hats off.
"O" No
January 23, 2009 - 04:52 ET by Vivaldi5They shouldn't complain. At least it seems none of the "O"s disappeared from the White House computer keyboards (the way all the "W"s were removed when Clinton's people vacated in 2001).
Welcome to the world of DoD computing!
January 23, 2009 - 06:53 ET by OldSailor88The Apple Yupsters that work for the President will now find that they have to apply for an account. Also, they will have to get used to the fact that everything they produce is at a minimum of For Official Use Only, so they can't be PM'ing their buddies about the goings on in the White House all day. Here at the DoD you're not allowed to use outside email or social websites. No GMail, Yahoo, Facebook, whatever, it is not allowed on their computers for security reasons. I find it kind of funny that they didn't know this coming in. I thought they were the most savvy and organized staff ever! OMG!! WTF?? How are they going to PM their BFF all day?
I think...
January 23, 2009 - 07:00 ET by Warner Todd HustonI think what they thought was that THEY could change the world. I don't think they had the first clue that there are REAL reasons why the rules are how they are. They thought they could change it all just because they feel like it, cuz THEY know better.
IT Team Incompetent?
January 23, 2009 - 08:33 ET by allanfI guess Kornbluth doesn't realize the IT Team at the White House is required to follow federal laws on information storage and retention, disclosure and security procedures. That contrains the IT staff considerably.
Even though Kornbluth meant to insult President Bush, the implication is that the White House IT staff is incompetent. How nonsensical.
Sailor88
January 23, 2009 - 11:02 ET by Doc_NavyI too find it hilarious that the Obama administration didn't realize coming in, that there would be SOP's and DoD instructions that they would HAVE to follow now that they are messing with classified info.
Heck, all my governmet email correspondence at the minimum is ~required~ to have the following attached to the bottom:
"**Notice of Confidentiality**
For Official Use Only. This document, including any attachments is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information covered under the Privacy Act, 5 USC 552(a), and/or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (PL 104-191) and its various implementing regulations and must be protected in accordance with those provisions. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. Under the Privacy Act of 1974, You, the recipient, are obligated to safeguard personnel information displayed on this system. Disclosure of information is governed by Title 5, United States Code, Section 552a Public Law 93-579, DoDD 5400.11, DoDR 5400.11-R and the applicable service directives."
And that includes any "Hey, we are having a pot luck fo so-and-so on Wed." type emails. And I haven't even discussed the BASIC encryption for even the lowest level official electronic communication. (Which would royally mess up a Blackberry or IM programs.)
I can just see it now..."What do you MEAN I can't use this thumb drive I bought at Wal-Mart to access this Classified Computer?? No, I Didn't have MID or Security check it for Viruses or anything.. I Just bought it. Seriously.. this is just dumb. Can't I just use my Bluetooth to Download the presidents Intel brief? what do you mean, "NO"?!!! You guys are facist, Racist, luddites and I HATE YOU!! Bushie." *stomps off in a huff*
Doc
2008: The year that the great LIE died.
How we know that they know that they are Lying.
Friedrich Nietzsche summed up how I feel about the MSM in this quote:
"I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."
You bring up a very good
January 23, 2009 - 11:39 ET by celatorYou bring up a very good example of how unprepared Obama is to be president.
Remember when Clinton was in office and he kept losing the codes to the "football"? He'd leave the code, crumpled up in a shirtpocket, or simply lose the paper with the code altogether.
This is what I worry about: the enemies of this country are watching Obama, as they do every president, very closely. You can bet they have a dossier on him that's a foot high. They are looking for vulnerablities.
They already know what he likes, and dislikes, how he conducts his daily business, who he talks to, what he says, what kind of toothpaste he uses, which shoe he puts on first in the morning, etc. They know more about Obama than Obama does, so to speak.
When they learned he was committed to his unsecured "Blackberry", they must have jumped with joy at their good luck.
For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.
No Surprise
January 23, 2009 - 16:03 ET by nkviking75Sailor, the Bush Administration reportedly was very thorough about the transition. Therefore, I'd wager Obama's IT people knew well in advance, and that Obama's rank-and-file are just whining to the press.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
American Security
January 23, 2009 - 07:42 ET by kiwikitOur esteemed former President, whom I'd like to put up for sainthood for his protecting us and taking all the evil medias slings and arrows for the past eight years, he cared about protecting us from the America-haters while Obama, as a member of said group, couldn't care less about keeping our secrets secure. His blackberry secrets will be public and, a la NYTimes treason, the country will be endangered by it.
Poor Obama. How will he be
January 23, 2009 - 07:55 ET by Roger the ShrubberPoor Obama. How will he be able to play WoW now?
In Mrs. Kornblut's attempt
January 23, 2009 - 08:15 ET by SeashellIn Mrs. Kornblut's attempt to take another swipe at Bush, she inadvertantly brought to light the ignorance of the Obama staffers. They should have known that there would be restrictions on email, facebook, etc. I thought these guys were the smartest people on the planet. Thank you Mrs. Kornblut for bringing this to our attention.
No Facebook to communicate
January 23, 2009 - 08:20 ET by motherbeltNo Facebook to communicate with supporters. No outside e-mail log-ins. No instant messaging
So, does this mean that The Obama will sign an executive order allowing all those things?
Why not? why shouldn't his staffers be allowed to play on Facebook and Instant Messenger while at work?
Bush didn't do it, but
January 23, 2009 - 09:36 ET by SouthernRootsObama and his team want all of these doodads so that they can use the Office of the President of the United States as a continual campaign site.
I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them. - J.B. Books (John Wayne)
And that's a bad thing?
January 23, 2009 - 10:03 ET by KC MulvilleI'd rather have them emoting on Facebook than emoting new regulations. Look, let them have those distractions ... mum's the word ...
During the campaign, didn't they discover that a foreign government had hacked their campaign? College sophomores can hack BlackBerries and email. Does anyone think it'll be a good idea to have the federal government tied up in knots because the Geek Club at the local high school thought it would be cool to spam the White House?
I'd hate to discover that Obama has been getting foreign policy advice from Kissinger ... only it turns out to have been Biff Kissinger, aged 14. Ot worse, Ahmed Kissinger from Syria.
One of my favorite jerks,
January 23, 2009 - 08:59 ET by SickofLibsOne of my favorite jerks, Shuster, did a segment on this Thursday. He said the Bush WH tech infrastructure was equivalent to the original Nintendo NES, while Obama's will be XBox 360.
Pong vs. Madden 09.
Bush will be Obama's and the advocacy media's whipping boy...
January 23, 2009 - 10:21 ET by CKA in Red State USA. . . until the cows have come home, seated themselves on the verandah and start sipping mint juleps.
And the WaPo will continue to waste precious natural resources printing such uninformed, biased drivel as this.
just a thought
January 23, 2009 - 10:38 ET by Miss CheviousJust exactly where would one find a Bluetooth device big enough to fit behind THOSE ears ???
"Chances are President
January 23, 2009 - 10:48 ET by krendler"Chances are President BlackBerry will eventually find that he will have
to suffer the same no-computers fate in many more ways than he wants to."
President BlackBerry! (or is it, President Black Barry?). Either way, I like it!!! It works.
Anyone else completly unimpressed by Team Obama's supposed "tech savviness"? Wow. They know how to text message and post videos on youtube!!! And FaceBook and MySpace accounts!!! I'm just in awe of their Techno-WithItNess.
welcome to no-leak or you go to jail period
January 23, 2009 - 11:25 ET by JIMMY1660now that everyone will be accountable for actions/in-actions. Wow, never had to do that before!!
Security by BHO and his cohorts should be breached at least once a day. What i must play by the rules.
this is going to be fun.
allow me to Love America
Good morning Jimmy
January 23, 2009 - 11:57 ET by cocodrieThat's why everyone in his cabinet is young. Leaks are a constant problem for us older people.
Joe biden is going to be in deep doo-doo. He's been all wet for years.
Jesus Loves You
Coco, that Depends who
January 23, 2009 - 12:02 ET by celatorCoco, that Depends on who you talk to.
For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.
we may have issues with age
January 23, 2009 - 14:31 ET by JIMMY1660we may have issues with age and the ability to function as a 25 yr old male. however when we look evil in the eye, we did not pi$$ our pants in fear. these new occupants of the Oval Office, woke up with stars in their eyes. now that they are in the fray, must have shaken them mightily. no one wants to talk."cat got your tongue boy!!!"
must be shaking, reality of world issues can make one throw up breakfast, or have a cigarette.
HEAVEN HELP US-THEY ARE SCARED.
allow me to Love America
BDS Continues
January 23, 2009 - 11:43 ET by SamAnd this story was repeated as "Bush left the White House in the stone ages" on the local 810 AM this morning by Don Weeks. Pretty lame really. If they took their heads out of the rears for a few seconds and read the whole story they would learn that there are limitations to what the President is allowed to do for security reasons - not because Bush wasn't technologically savy (which could be true for all I know).
What secrets? Didn't Obama ...
January 23, 2009 - 11:54 ET by SentryDanWhat secrets? Didn't Obama say his administration would be transparent? Doesn't that mean that there will be no secrets in his administration?
I guess that all our National Secrets will be open to whomever wants to see them under the Freedom of Information Act. God help us if that's the case.
Remember folks, Freedom isn't Free. It was bought with the blood and sacrifice of the men and women who are serving and who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.
Sometimes you just can't win
January 23, 2009 - 12:23 ET by slickwillie2001Had Bush replaced the entire White House network with new computers in 2008, this would be the talking point:
Bush administration sticks poor Obammy with new buggy system of computers using flakey Microsoft Vista, leaving no money in the White House kitty for his administration to spend on new more modern equipment more suited to his new style of governing.
All the latest and greatest techno-wizardry in the world...
January 23, 2009 - 13:08 ET by R D Helm...will do nothing to help these incompetent boobs.
Garbage in, garbage out.
All they will be able to do is process their garbage at a much faster rate.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.
Ulterior Motives
January 23, 2009 - 15:36 ET by stratmanObama and his administration are using the pretext of an alledgely technologically backwards Bush&Co. to backdoor impliment a covert system of communications in contravention to the Presidential Records Act.
While they may currently have the sycophantic support of the MSM and Liberals, Obama's plans will eventually blow up in his face, either from a "leak" or after the enemy has co-opted these communications. Even encrypted wireless transmissions and Blackberry texting is not impervious to a determined advesary.
Obama and his gang continue to play Americans for chumps.