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Tag: Politicians

  • Twitter Kills Sites Across the World That Archived Politicians’ Deleted Tweets

    Twitter Kills Sites Across the World That Archived Politicians’ Deleted Tweets

    One of the biggest operations for preserving politicians’ deleted tweets has been shut down.

    The Open State Foundation say that Twitter has cut off its API access for its Politwoops and Diplotwoops sites. The sites were simple – they just pulled deleted tweets from politicians’ profiles and made them visible for the world to see. It was about transparency, according to the siterunners.

    But apparently, Twitter does not agree. The company reportedly said that every user – public or private – has the right to delete their tweets.

    “Twitter said that its decision to suspend access to Politwoops followed a ‘thoughtful internal deliberation and close consideration of a number of factors’ and that it doesn’t distinguish between users. Twitter wrote: ‘Imagine how nerve-racking – terrifying, even – tweeting would be if it was immutable and irrevocable? No one user is more deserving of that ability than another. Indeed, deleting a tweet is an expression of the user’s voice.’” says Open State Foundation.

    The places where Twitter’s API refusal has effectively shut down Politwoops are Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Portugal, Egypt, Estonia, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Macedonia, Norway, Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey and the Vatican. It also includes members of the European Parliament.

    Twitter blocked the US version of Politwoops on May 15.

    “What our elected officials say is a matter of public record, and Twitter is an increasingly important part of how our elected officials communicate with the public. This kind of dialogue between we the people and those who represent us is an important part of any democratic system. And even in the case of deleted tweets, it’s also a public part — these tweets are live and viewable by anyone on Twitter.com and other platforms for at least some amount of time,” said the siterunner, Sunlight Foundation, at the time.

    “Unfortunately, Twitter’s decision to pull the plug on Politwoops is a reminder of how the Internet isn’t truly a public square. Our shared conversations are increasingly taking place in privately owned and managed walled gardens, which means that the politics that occur in such conversations are subject to private rules. (In this case, Twitter’s terms of service for usage of its API.)”

    The latest move means Politwoops has been cut off in all remaining countries of operation.

    “What politicians say in public should be available to anyone. This is not about typos but it is a unique insight on how messages from elected politicians can change without notice,” says Open State Foundation director Arjan El Fassed.

    [Open State Foundation via The Guardian]

  • Congressman Charged with Cocaine Possession

    First-term Florida Congressman Trey Radel has been charged with cocaine possession. He was arrested in Washington on October 29th according to information released from a spokesperson from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

    Radel is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday where he will be arraigned for possessing a controlled substance. The misdemeanor charge could involve a sentence of up to 180 days inside prison in addition to a potential $1,000 fine.

    Congressman Trey Radel released the following statement.

    “I’m profoundly sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the people of Southwest Florida. I struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely irresponsible choice. As the father of a young son and a husband to a loving wife, I need to get help so I can be a better man for both of them. In facing this charge, I realize the disappointment my family, friends and constituents must feel. Believe me, I am disappointed in myself, and I stand ready to face the consequences of my actions. However, this unfortunate event does have a positive side. It offers me an opportunity to seek treatment and counseling. I know I have a problem and will do whatever is necessary to overcome it, hopefully setting an example for others struggling with this disease. Please keep my family in your prayers.”

    Radel had a successful career prior to being elected to Congress in 2012. Beforehand, the Congressman had worked in radio and even served as a television reporter.

    Congressman Radel spoke about the underlying condition that influenced his behavior. “I struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely irresponsible choice. I am disappointed in myself, and I stand ready to face the consequences of my actions,” he said.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Sarah Palin Refuses Interview With Google Glass-Wearer

    Sarah Palin recently denied comment when she was approached by a reporter wearing Google Glass, and he suspects that all the controversy surrounding the state-of-the-art eyewear is behind it.

    Nilay Patel wore the glasses to cover the Indy 500 and ran into Palin and her husband at the Woodford Reserve Hotel the night before. When he approached the couple, he says Palin refused to take a picture with him or even talk to him. Since the technology was all the rage at the gathering–with several curious people approaching Patel to ask about them and take photos with him–he asked Palin if she wanted to try them out.

    “What’s in it for us?” her husband Todd said. “We don’t know what company you’re with.”

    Patel assured them he wasn’t looking for an edorsement, but Todd Palin asked him to leave anyway.

    It’s no secret that many are concerned about privacy when it comes to Google Glass; in fact, a petition has been started to ban the technology from being used until clear boundaries are put in place surrounding them.

    “Google Glass is a new twist on technology which hasn’t had clearly stated limits on the locations in US communities where it can and cannot be used. In order to protect our communities we need limitations to prevent indecent public surveillance of our friends, children, and families,” the petition states. “It is hard to prevent it because the hardware gives no notification that it is recording an individual at any given time.”

    Even Patel brings up an interesting point; when he was covering the race, he ducked into a men’s bathroom, forgetting he still had the glasses on. When he got some dirty looks, he quickly remembered and took them off.

    For now, there seem to be many kinks to be worked out when it comes to Glass and when and where the technology should be used, and that includes around celebrities and political figures.

    Image: The Verge

  • George McGovern Dies at 90, 1972 Presidential Nominee

    This past Sunday, we lost a great politician extraordinaire, who will be sadly missed because of his ardent political passions, his idealism, and his fervent love for his country. Additionally, he is remembered as a historian, university professor, scholar of political science, and as a consummate liberal politician.

    Senator McGovern was born in 1922 in South Dakota (the son of a Methodist minister) and was educated at Dakota Wesleyan University, B.A., 1945 (interrupting his college education to serve in the U.S. military after Pearl Harbor was bombed); Northwestern University, M.A., 1949; and Northwestern University, Ph.D., 1953. He served the US Army in World War II as a 1st Lieutenant, flying a B-24 in 35 combat missions over Europe and was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross. McGovern authored a number of articles and books, including The Third Freedom, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the World Food Prize, and the Air Medal.

    McGovern is best remembered as the special assistant to the President as director of the Food for Peace Program (1961), his election to the US Senate for three terms (1962 – 1978), and serving on Senate committees concerning agriculture, nutrition, forestry, foreign relations, and the Joint Economic Committee. In 1972, Senator McGovern was selected as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the US presidential campaign on the platform to end the unpopular war in Vietnam. Following his defeat in that election, McGovern subsequently served as the United Nations Global Ambassador to obliterating world hunger.

    Senator McGovern was hospitalized for various reasons since a fall last December, and he passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, October 20th, 2012, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the age of 90. Tributes are flooding in for this beloved senior statesman via Twitter (shown below), and he is remembered by a number of current politicians and historians as the person who was ultimately responsible for their own passion for political service.





  • Arlen Specter Dies at 82, Pennsylvania Senator

    The political world mourns today as we lose a loyal servant to Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter, who recently changed his political affiliation from Republican to Democrat.

    Arlen Specter, a Kansas native, moved to Pennsylvania during his college years, where he attended University of Pennsylvania for his bachelor’s degree, and then later received his master’s degree from Yale. Specter also was involved with the Unites States Air Force from 1951 to 1953.

    Specter started his political involvement in 1965, when he ran for District Attorney for Pennsylvania under the Republication affiliation. He then later ran for the U.S. Senate in 1976 and 1978; however, he was defeated both times. He then later reattempted the Senate seat in 1980 and won, starting his first day in office in January 1981.

    Some of the events Specter is known for from his career are listed below:

    • 1998: Co-sponsored an amendment to the Fair Housing Act.
    • 1999: Criticized the Republican party (his own affiliation) for the impeachment of Bill Clinton, stating that he did not have a fair trial.
    • 2002: Voted in favor of H.J.Res 114, and authorizing the Iraq War.
    • 2007: Involved in communications with Robert Goddell (NFL Commissioner), concerning the destruction of the New England Patriots Spygate tapes.
    • 2009: Introduced a bill to require the televising of U.S. Supreme Court proceedings.

    In 2009, Specter changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, and then lost the Senate seat in 2010 after being defeated by Joe Sestak.

    Arlen Specter died on Sunday, October 14th, 2012, after battling long-term cancer (since 2005). He was 82 years old.

    Various Twitter users are stepping out from behind their political affiliation and posting condolences for this great Senator:





  • NY State Senator Asks Twitter About Gay Marriage Vote

    In a move of open communication and transparency (whether genuine of feigned), New York State Senator Greg Ball has asked his social media followers how they feel about the issue of marriage equality. Why has he asked them how they feel? Because his upcoming vote is critical to whether or not the legislation will ultimately be passed.

    The legislation in question is the Marriage Equality Act, proposed last Tuesday by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The bill would give same-sex couples the right to a government-approved marriage, but would leave religious organizations the ability to define marriage as it sees fit.

    This bill grants equal access to the government-created legal institution of civil marriage while leaving the religious institution of marriage to its own separate and fully autonomous sphere. The bill also guarantees that religious institutions and benevolent organizations such as the Knights of Columbus remain free to choose who may use their facilities for marriage ceremonies and celebrations or to whom they provide religious services, consistent with their religious principles.

    Why is Greg Ball at the center of this legislation? Because he is one of the few Republican Senators left undecided about his vote. The New York State Senate has 62 member and is controlled by the GOP. Twenty-nine Democrats as well as 2 Republicans have pledged support for the Marriage Equality Act already. The Senate needs 32 yays to pass the bill. Ball could end up being the deciding vote.

    And his vote was the topic of a particular tweet he sent out, asking his followers about the topic of gay marriage. Here’s the tweet –

    @ball4ny
    Greg Ball    Opening up the discussion! So, if you were me, how would you vote on gay marriage? Yes or No? 4 days ago via Mobile Web · powered by @socialditto

    As you would expect from Twitter, the responses have varied in eloquence. Here’s a response that makes the argument from the conservative standpoint –

    @GlenAllenWalken
    Glen Allen Walken    Marriage equality is all about personal freedom, liberty and government minding its own business. It’s a purely conservative issue. @ball4ny 2 days ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    A quick search through the replies to his tweets show an overwhelming answer of “Yes” to the marriage equality bill. Out of the top 40 or so, I only counted one “NO” vote, the tweeter asking Ball to “grow some #GOP balls.”

    The Facebook response is a little more evenly split, but not much from what I can tell. In the most recent wall postings, I can only find a handful of people asking Senator ball to vote NO on the bill. And those people are being questioned heavily about their post in the comments.

    Ball told Politico that calls and letters coming into his office are actually in favor of a NO vote 60 / 40.

    And about why he asked his social media followers to weigh in on the decision – he said “I thought is was better than sending Weiner-like photos.” Ouch, kick a man while he’s down why don’t ya? You’d think with the name “Ball,” he would find some solidarity with Weiner, right?

    There could be more selfish motivations for the Senator, however. One Facebook wall post asks “Hey, have you made up your mind yet? Or are you just waiting for some more attention?” Ball has gained thousands of Twitter followers and Facebook likes since posing the gay marriage question.

    Would you like to see more politicians reach out on Twitter and Facebook – not simply be active posters but actually ask questions of their followers? Let us know what you think.