Follow Friday: @GOPoversight

by Alicia M. Cohn - 02/17/12 4:53 PM ET

{mosads}The Hill Q: Who usually writes tweets for your account?

@GOPoversight A: @GOPoversight is the central online hub that weaves together the work of the 22 Oversight Republicans & amplifies that to a growing online community interested in following the Oversight Committee.

Q: When/why did the committee first join Twitter?

A: @GOPoversight was first created in early 2009 but remained mostly unused until January 2011, when Republicans took the majority.

@GOPoversight began tweeting again as more and more concerned citizens sought to connect with the committee online.

Q: What do you see as the most significant purpose of Twitter for the committee?

A: The majority of @GOPoversight tweets keep taxpayers up-to-date on the committee’s investigations, sharing new stories, videos, hearing information and more.

The most significant purpose of @GOPoversight purpose, however, is bringing interested taxpayers outside Washington, D.C. inside the committee’s work.

Q: Do you have an example of a “best” Twitter moment?

A: One of the best @Twitter moments for @GOPoversight was the Feb. 2, 2012 #FastandFurious hearing with AG #Holder. @GOPoversight live tweeted the entire hearing alongside the hearings documents & video stream at http://FastandFuriousInvestigation.com, delivering an exclusive play-by-play of a major congressional investigation for interested taxpayers.

Q: Do you have an example of a “worst” Twitter moment?

A: During the elite 8 round of last summer’s #GOP New Media Challenge run by @cathymcmorris [Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.)], @GOPoversight matched up against @RepFleming [Rep. John Fleming (R)] of Louisiana. The competition measured 2 teams’ digital prowess, tallying up @Facebook likes, @Twitter followers and @YouTube views over one week to determine who advanced. Going into the final day @RepFleming was ahead by a considerable margin & despite some generous #FF from @SpeakerBoehner [Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio)], @GOPoversight got taken to the cleaners.

Past “Follow Friday” Twitter profiles have included Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), Mike Honda (Calif.), Jim Himes (Conn.) and Rush Holt (N.J.), and Republican Reps. Bob Latta (Ohio), Glenn Thompson (Pa.), John Shimkus (Ill.), David Schweikert (Ariz.) and Dana Rohrabacher (Calif).