Obama plans to keep his Blackberry

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Washington: Notwithstanding legal and security concerns, Barack Obama says he plans to keep his favourite Blackberry with him after he is sworn in as the US President on January 20.

Obama, who considers the wireless e-mail and phone device an important tool to maintain unhindered contact with outside world during his presidency, has been trying hard to convince his security and personal staff that he retain the Blackberry.

"I think we're going to be able to beat this back. I think we're going to be able to hang onto one of these," Obama told CNN in an interview when asked about his Blackberry.

Intelligence officials, for security concerns, and his own staff for privacy reasons have been urging Obama to give up his blackberry after he enters the White House.

"Now, my working assumption, and this is not new, is that everything I write on e-mail could end up being on CNN. So I make sure that -- to think before I press "send."," Obama said indicating that he would be careful using this device.

Describing his personal Blackberry as "just one tool among a number of tools that I'm trying to use, to break out of the bubble," the 47-year-old charismatic Democrat said he wanted "to make sure that people can still reach me."

"But if I'm doing something stupid, somebody in Chicago can send me an e-mail and say, "What are you doing?" You know? Or "you're too detached" or "you're not listening to what is going on here in the neighborhood."," he argued giving reasons why he wants to retain his blackberry.

"I want to be able to have voices, other than the people who are immediately working for me, be able to reach out and -- and send me a message about what's happening in America."