Capitol Hill Twitter Fight!
By L. Russell Allen - Jul 16th, 2008 at 5:02 pmFox News is reporting a tiff between two Congressmen over the all-important issue of Twitter.
If you don’t know, Twitter is a program that allows you to post text messages on websites. It allows people to keep their readers–or in this case, their constituents–up to date on their status when they’re not around a computer.
Representative John Culberson (R-TX) has been using Twitter to post updates on his day-to-day life as a Congressman. Theoretically, this is something that should be applauded. Breaking down barriers between the politicians and the voters. Taking democracy to the people. Hell yeah!
Except that, uh, this is probably breaking the rules.
Current rules “have been interpreted to prohibit (House) members from posting official content outside of the House.gov domain,” Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass., chairman of the Congressional Commission on Mailing Standards, better known as the franking committee, wrote in a report late last month.
Representative Capuano believes that these rules are necessary to avoid someone mistaking official House messages with political or commercial material.
Okay, fair enough. The line between government business and campaigning must be kept sacrosanct. It looks like both politicians have a pretty good case. So what’s the best way to reach a compromise?
In a video posted online of his interview with FOX News, Culberson relayed how Capuano got irritated when Culberson apparently tried to get Capuano on camera, but hadn’t asked him first. After the video was posted, Capuano ended up receiving a torrent of e-mails and phone calls from Culberson backers.
Admitting he might have jumped the gun by posting the confrontation, Culberson said he apologized to Capuano and pledged not to film him again without his permission.
Oh dear. That’s no good. If someone wants to use the Internet for good (and I think direct communication with constituents is inherently good no matter how unprogressive Rep. Culberson’s positions are), then I’m willing to support that. But you only get that benefit of the doubt if you recognize that the Internet can be used for bad as well. Filming someone without their permission and sicing Internet attack dogs upon them is not an appropriate way to use this technology.
Despite Culberson’s unfortunate actions, this quote from the Texas Congressman is right on the mark:
…You’re going to have about as much luck regulating the Internet as King Knut did when he ordered his men to put this throne on the beach, and he tried to order the tide to stop.”
That’s absolutely correct. The Internet is coming, Congress. Prepare thyselves!
[...] pushback » Blog Archive » Capitol Hill Twitter Fight! [...]
July 17th, 2008 at 7:30 pm