Yes, Barack Obama will get a BlackBerry — after some government spook agency puts in an ungodly amount of encryption (and maybe some back doors so they can listen in).

Last week, it was looking like Obama would not get to keep his BlackBerry for security reasons. Separately, incoming White House lawyer Cassandra Butts had told his staff that they would not be allowed to use IM, with each other or with reporters.

But Obama, who has long insisted he'd find a way to keep his beloved device, from which he was inseparable on the campaign trail, found a way; the souped-up BlackBerry will soon arrive in his hands, The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder reports. And good on him! This is yet another example of Obama's forceful push for change. Before entering office, George W. Bush sent out this note from his AOL account, G94B@aol.com :

Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyberspace. This saddens me. I have enjoyed conversing with each of you.

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