Let's first look at how email works when a message is sent from Mr. Rove's BlackBerry. It first travels over an encrypted wireless connection from the BlackBerry to RIM's network. So far, so good.

But from RIM's network, it needs to travel to a destination server. This could be somewhere on the RIM network, it could be a Gmail account, or it could even be to ZATZ's own email server. The thing is, most email traveling between servers uses something called SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) and this email is completely unencrypted -- wide open and easy for anyone to intercept.

So, an email leaves his BlackBerry encrypted, but by the time it reaches the destination, it is likely to be completely open for all along the way to intercept and read.

What about when Mr. Rove sends an email from Outlook? Well, again, that can go a variety of ways, but let's assume he's using an Exchange server. Then, the message might travel to the Exchange server in an encrypted form. I said "might" because email messages traveling from Outlook to Exchange can be encrypted, but they can also be unencrypted. For now, though, let's give Mr. Rove's IT geeks the benefit of the doubt and assume they set it up so his email goes from Outlook to Exchange in an encrypted form.

But then, the email again has to travel over the open Internet to the destination machine via completely unsecured SMTP.

What about an incoming email? In this case, we know an incoming email message travels over unsecured SMTP to GWB43.COM, which is a nice Postfix server. At this point, it likely gets forwarded to the RIM network or to an Exchange server, and, again, from SMARTech to Karl, it's probably secured.

The issue here is pretty simple. Once Mr. Rove's email leaves his home server, it's completely open to the world.

The nightmare scenario
Imagine that Mr. Rove is sending an email to Deputy White House Press Secretary Dana Perino about the President's upcoming travel itinerary. Presidential security being what it is, it's fair to consider that itinerary confidential.

Let's look at how that message will travel in two scenarios: using the White House email system and using the RNC email system.

Using EOP.GOV, everything should be safe. Both Dana Perino and Karl Rove have EOP.GOV email accounts, which run internally to the Executive Office of the President. A message sent from Karl to Dana never travels over the open Internet and is going to be encrypted going from Mr. Rove's BlackBerry to Ms. Perino's laptop running Outlook. All is good.

But because of the Hatch Act, let's assume Mr. Rove is rightly practicing an abundance of caution. The President is about to make a speech in support of a member of Congress' reelection campaign. The email message to Ms. Perino is about the President's travel plans, exactly where he's going to go and what he's going to do while heading to the home district for our congressman. This makes the message political, and, as such, by law can't run through EOP.GOV.