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Archive for January, 2009

Wanna send Obama a text message on his Blackberry?

If you do, the California First Amendment Coalition has a (tongue-in-cheek) deal for you. Read on.

Psst: Wanna buy Barack Obama’s new email address?

By Peter Scheer

What would you pay to have President Obama’s new private (and secure) email address?

Two weeks ago I wrote in this space about efforts by Barack Obama’s aides to get him to surrender his Blackberry, on which Obama had relied to escape the bubble that descends on leading presidential contenders, not to mention elected presidents. I argued that the aides’ concerns about legal and security constraints were overblown and urged Obama to keep the Blackberry—and to use it, while President, to stay in touch with ordinary citizens.

I am not at liberty to reveal how I know that President Obama read my article, which was reprinted in several publications.  Suffice it to say that I am now in possession of the Chief Executive’s new, private email address, the one reserved for family members and close personal friends. (Two additional email addresses have been created for use by, respectively, Cabinet level officials and campaign supporters who contributed $200,000 and above.)

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t betray a confidence, especially a presidential confidence. But these are, as we know, “challenging” times, not least for the California First Amendment Coalition (”CFAC”), a cash-strapped nonprofit working overtime to defend freedom of speech and the public’s right to know about its government.  Besides, President Obama is a big proponent of open government, as shown by his recent pronunciamento on the Freedom of Information Act.  He will, I’m sure, understand that extreme measures in the defense of government accountability are no vice (to paraphrase a rather less successful presidential candidate).

Accordingly, I have decided to divulge Obama’s private friends-and-family email address, the one that reaches him on his belt-mounted Blackberry, to …(click here to go to First Amendment site.)

Posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009
Under: political humor | 6 Comments »

Both sides still paying Prop 11 debts

Posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009
Under: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Don Perata, Election 2008, Jack O'Connell, Jerry Brown, Propositions | No Comments »

Assembly Dems: More public transit in stimulus

Posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009
Under: Nancy Pelosi, Transportation, U.S. House, U.S. Senate | 2 Comments »

Contra Costa assessor interviewed on NPR

Posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009
Under: California budget, Contra Costa County, Contra Costa politics | No Comments »

Watch Oil-drilling lease vote on-line

Posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009
Under: Environment | No Comments »

George Will speaks in Concord

Posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Under: General | No Comments »

What does California need? Reform, reform, reform

Posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Under: California Legislature, California budget, Election reform, General, campaign finance | 3 Comments »

Arnoldbucks!

Posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Under: Arnold Schwarzenegger | 2 Comments »

Local lawmakers at the Ledbetter Act’s signing

Posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Under: Barack Obama, Barbara Lee, General, George Miller, Joe Biden, Lynn Woolsey, Nancy Pelosi | No Comments »

Comedian Will Durst kicks off annual CCUSA

Posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Under: Contra Costa County, Contra Costa politics | 1 Comment »