Tweet Beat: Memorial Edition

Congressional tweeters mourn lost peers, make bad jokes, talk cheerleading, and embrace unstrategic hashtags By Elliot Kort

Comments () | Published December 14, 2010

This week, the congressional Twitterverse was filled with cheerleading propaganda, minority leader John Boehner (effectively) retweeting himself, and Representative Mike Pence getting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac a movie deal. There were more serious debates too, about Obamacare, Charlie Rangel’s ethics quagmire, and economic stability. And many members reached out after the deaths of two of their own, former senator Ted Stevens and former representative Dan Rostenkowski.

Representative Darrell Issa DarrellIssa Transparency? Nope. Just Obama’s Cheerleading Propaganda Signs of a Failed Stimulus (VIDEO) http://bit.ly/aCQHrH

Be! Aggressive! has been Issa’s signature chant since he became the ranking member on the Oversight Committee.

Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers cathymcmorris RT @cqpolitics In Battle 4 Friends & Followers Republicans Taking Over Twitter http://bit.ly/dDhMPx (from @AlterNet) #techgop

We shall fight them on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds, and . . . social-networking programs.

Representative Lynn Jenkins RepLynnJenkins The Canadian experience offers a preview of what Obamacare has in store for the United States. http://ht.ly/2qGd3

The Canadian Experience? I think I saw them open for Jethro Tull once.

Senator Ben Nelson SenBenNelson Sen Nelson announces new bill: if states don’t use their education jobs bill funds, it will go to paying down deficit. http://bit.ly/cmAFF2

Two things Senator Nelson should note: (1) People tend not to take kindly to those who speak of themselves in the third person; and (2) pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Representative Charles Rangel @cbrangel #Rangel Guest Blog: “Tainted Ethics Process” by William L Clay, Sr (Former Member of Congress) http://bit.ly/BillClaySr

Is it really smart to enforce oneself as a hashtag while in the midst of an ethics investigation?

Senator Barbara Boxer Boxer_2010 STAFF: Submit your questions for the September 1 debate: http://ow.ly/2r2NS

If you tell us it’s not the senator tweeting, the whole process loses its mystique!

Representative John Shimkus RepShimkus Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who. . .spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. . .

. . . Okay. Moving on!

Representative Kendrick Meek KendrickMeek Photos of President Clinton & I at rallies in Palm Beach, Broward, & Miami yesterday. http://ow.ly/2r1Fg #RealDem #flsen

Everyone be on your guard. There must be #FakeDems about!

Representative Mike Pence RepMikePence Fannie and Freddie’s Nightmare on Main Street http://bit.ly/c3Hf5R #tcot

With Hollywood sequels what they are, this might just happen.

Representative John Boehner johnboehner RT @markknoller: Boehner says more than 130,000 Ohioans have lost their jobs since Feb ‘09 & state unemployment “painfully-high” at 10.5%

Boehner retweets Knoller . . . who quoted Boehner. How amazingly meta!

Representative Mary Bono Mack MaryBonoMack BONO MACK TO PELOSI: BIZARRE, BONO MACK TO POUGNET: DO YOU AGREE? http://fb.me/FVQNG5Ky

WASHINGTONIAN TO BONO MACK: LOOOOOUUUUD NOISES!!!

And finally . . .

Senator Daniel Inouye Daniel_Inouye Irene and I are headed to Alaska to say goodbye to our dear friend, my brother, Senator Ted Stevens. I will never forget him.”

Representative Charles Rangel cbrangel Rest in peace, Rosty. My deep condolences to the Rosten family and friends http://bit.ly/danrosty