MATT HARTLEY writes:

Not since former vice-president Al Gore “invented” the Internet has technology been as hot a talking point in the corridors of power in Washington.

President-elect Barack Obama has raised it to a new level, to the point where aides say he wants to become the first American President to have a laptop computer on his desk in the Oval Office.

He also wants to be the first president to have a national tech czar.

In addition to his BlackBerry addiction, the Facebook groups and iPhone application that helped him get elected and his decision to broadcast the weekly presidential radio addresses on YouTube, Mr. Obama has pledged to make issues of net neutrality, copyright protection, online privacy and cybersecurity hallmarks of his presidency.

The question is, who's going to handle that file?

Wall Street wants to know who's taking over as Treasury Secretary and other prestige posts in an Obama administration, but the tech community is abuzz over who will get the nod for a new cabinet-level post of chief technology officer.

Some say Mr. Obama will choose an academic with a background in Internet and technology policy issues, such as Stanford University law professor Lawrence Lessig – who founded the school's Center for Internet and Society – or Edward Felten, director of the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University.

Others believe Mr. Obama will draw from the corporate community to demonstrate his commitment to funding green technology research, computer science education and high-tech job creation programs.

Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt and Xerox Corp. CEO Anne Mulcahy are both on the president-elect's transition team, but neither are likely to want to the post. Observers say Google “Chief Internet Evangelist” Vinton Cerf – known in some circles as the “father of the Internet” – and John Doerr, a long-time Silicon Valley venture capitalist who is good friends with Apple Inc. boss Steve Jobs, are more likely choices.

“He wants to be the Internet president,” said Tom Keenan, a University of Calgary professor who teaches computer science and environmental design.

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