Every Tweet Counts: Local Pols on Twitter

By Nick Lucchesi Tue., Feb. 24 2009 at 9:43 AM

Categories: Politics

The politicians on Twitter -- that trendy micro-blogging service -- get free reign to speak directly to their constituents without being filtered by handlers, all in 140 characters or less.

It seems like a deliciously easy tool for policy-makers bred on the sound-bite.

However, there are a few head-scratchers when it comes to the local politicians on Twitter. For one, St. Louis mayoral candidate Irene J. Smith follows lots of people and also has a subordinate account run by one of her aides. This is just confusing, honestly. Will the real Irene please stand up?

Her opponent, Mayor Francis Slay, has that blog he updates, but no Twitter account.

On the national stage, you've got U.S. Representative Roy Blunt and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (who shows her love of Mizzou basketball with the service) but no sign of Senator Kit Bond.

And perhaps most bizarre, Karl Rove started following this very alt weekly's Twitter feed back on February 4. Which is great, because now we can read updates and view photos of him hunting.

Politicians have always looked for microphones, soap boxes and street corners from which to grandstand. Twitter allows them to bloviate on their BlackBerrys.

Below is an abbreviated list of St. Louis and/or Missouri Twitterererers.

Anyone else -- political or otherwise -- we should be watching? Post your suggestions in the comments field or drop me a line.