Obama staffers turn to Gmail on Inauguration Day

Obama transition staff who are headed to the White House tomorrow have created special e-mail addresses using Google's free Gmail accounts to work around the fact that their transition e-mails will go dark at 11 a.m. Tuesday, at least an hour before they will have access to their new government accounts.

An e-mail sent to reporters by Obama staffer Reid Cherlin said that the new White House staff will be unable to send e-mail press releases or pool reports, at least initially, and asks the press to check the official White House Web site (whitehouse.gov) for the information that is usually sent to only the reporters that cover the president.

In addition, Cherlin noted that any e-mail sent to the Gmail accounts "could be forwarded to White House accounts and subject to the Presidential Records Act."