Obama Negotiating to Get His BlackBerry Back

Screen shot from ABC interview.

What's a lawyer without a BlackBerry? We asked that somewhat rhetorical question a while back. The answer? President. For security reasons Barack Obama was initially told he would need to give up his mobile.

Or maybe not. Apparently the president-elect is feeling a bit too constricted inside the presidential bubble, which is understandably tightly controlled by the Secret Service.

But Obama wants a little more access to those outside the presidential circle, according to the Chicago Tribune blog The Swamp, which posted excerpts of Obama's interview with Barbara Walters.

In the interview, which began airing in snippets on ABC's Good Morning America, Obama says it's a problem for him to give up the BlackBerry and other ties. "You know, one of the things that I'm going to have to work through is how to break through the isolation and the bubble that exists around the president. And I'm in the process of negotiating with the Secret Service, with lawyers, with White House staff and....''

Walters asked Obama if that means he will get his BlackBerry back. In response, Obama says, "Well, I'm, I'm negotiating to figure out how can I get information from outside of the ten or 12 people who surround my office in the White House. Because, one of the worst things I think that could happen to a president is losing touch with what people are going through day to day.''