President Obama, Call Steve Jobs

By: Dan Farber
Topics: White House

(White House/Pete Souza)

President Obama told CBS News' Chip Reid that anyone in his administration caught leaking information about the Afghanistan troop decision would be fired. But transparency only goes so far.

Releasing information that transpired among senior staff in the high-security Situation Room in the basement of the White House about how to conduct or wind down the war in Afghanistan is not appropriate, the president said.

Other presidents, such as Mr. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, have made similar threats. Mr. Bush said he would fire anyone who leaked Valerie Plame's name to the press. Scooter Libby, chief of staff for former Vice President Dick Cheney, was indicted and convicted on charges of obstruction and perjury related to the leak, but he quit before anyone could fire him. Libby was sentenced to a 30-month prison terms and fined $250,000. But Mr. Bush commuted the prison sentence.

Mr. Obama has engendered loyalty among his staff during his first year in office, but Washington is a sieve of information, which is the primary currency of the realm.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Perhaps Mr. Obama should consult with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. He is a master of secrecy and leak control. He managed to keep his precarious health secret, including a liver transplant, out of the press (and SEC disclosures) for a long period, and somehow manages to pull rabbits, iPods, iPhones and other irresistible gadgets with great aplomb and surprise.

The press plays a continual guessing game, but the ranks of Apple's employees and the far-reaching supply chain mostly have their lips sealed. Implicit in that silence is a sense of personal loyalty to Mr. Jobs, and a healthy wish for job security. One can imagine Mr. Jobs icily whispering to a leaker about to be escorted out of the building, "You are dead to me."

Daniel Farber is editor-in-chief of CBSNews.com.

Dan has more than 20 years of journalism experience. He has served as editor in chief of CBSNews.com, CNET News, ZDNet, PC Week, and MacWeek.
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by pasmalltown November 19, 2009 8:03 AM EST: Yes, but "that employee" would be busy looking for a new job.....; Reply to this comment


by goffredo29 November 18, 2009 7:54 PM EST: "You are dead to me." I am afraid that that employee would get the last word there.; Reply to this comment