Used daily by Representatives and staff, this tiny email device was a common sight in the Capitol in the early 2000s. By 2008, at least “seven out of 10 members and staffers” had one. They were an essential part of communication, so much so that some questioned if their use had become an obsession. Although later replaced with smartphones, “the BlackBerry . . . changed the way Congress [did] business,” a reporter observed.
