A New Symbol of Elite Access: E-Mail to the Chief

The few who can send e-mail to President Obama, whose cybercircle has been limited for security reasons, include, from left, David Axelrod, senior adviser; Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff; and Robert Gibbs, the press secretary.

From The New York Times:

For decades, the capital scoured state dinner invitation lists and Camp David visitor logs for clues to who was in and who was out.

Former President Bill Clinton established a new class of insider with his Lincoln Bedroom sleepovers, although those usually came with an implicit price tag as he tried to raise campaign money. Former President George W. Bush provided fewer opportunities for the elite to demonstrate their eliteness by virtually abandoning state dinners, but there were invitations to his Texas ranch to clear brush, a dubious distinction, perhaps, during 100-degree Crawford summers.

Now there is President Obama’s e-mail, the first used by a commander in chief while in office. “This is the 21st-century version of the same special access that certain people are always granted to the president,” said Joel P. Johnson, a senior White House adviser under Mr. Clinton.

[For those not reading the whole article, the three shown above are not the only ones on the list, and the list includes Biden, but the list is presumed small.]