Network Community Twitter has become popular among politicians eager to get out his message. But after New York Congressman Anthony Weiner struggled to explain how an embarrassing photo went out to thousands of his Twitter followers, some have second thoughts.
CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports that all but a handful of 535 members of Congress using Twitter. The social network is now available on most mobile phones. Twitter's reach provides an unsurpassed ability to promote his agenda, and themselves, 140 characters at a time.
-People like to vote for the man, and Twitter gives a candidate a unique opportunity to appear human, in real time, over time, "says Jonathan Abell on Wired Magazine
Politicians with the biggest Twitter following is those that Congressman Weiner, tweet themselves instead of leaving it to his staff.
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"I am tired of looking and feeling fat," wrote the Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, whose sincere tweets have endeared her to as many as 55,000 supporters.
Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker has gathered more than a million virtual constituents, despite the fact that he runs a city with less than 300,000. Last winter, he used Twitter to find residents stranded by a Blizzard.
"It is a powerful tool for connecting with my community in a way that it only cannot thoroughly regular means of telephone, email or even going door to door," Booker said.
The immediacy of twitter-just type and hit submit but eliminates the ability of other tanks, as some lawmakers have learned the hard way.
Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra got in hot water in 2009 for tweeting "just landed in Baghdad," even if the trip would be a secret.
In november last year, seven little words are invited now-retired U.s. Senator Chris Dodd to issue an immediate apology, after his account blasted profanity to almost 13,000 supporters, when he wrote: "U love to torture me with this s ** t."
Both men are still on Twitter, as well as Congressman Weiner, who boast digitally this week about his new followers. For politicians seeking the spotlight, is the online SOAP just too tempting.
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