As President Barack Obama attempts to own the public spotlight via his first-ever Twitter town hall, several top Congressional Republicans have entered the micro-blogging fray to fight back against the White House’s messaging.
For instance, Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the House Budget Committee, tweeted a challenge to Obama: “Fearmongering won’t solve our debt crisis. Americans deserve a real debate. You pick: when and where?”
Ryan also asked Obama what his “jobs plan” is after berating him for how the Democrat-controlled Senate “hasn’t passed a budget in 798 days.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, California Republican, retweeted Ryan’s messages to his followers, in addition to picking a few fights of his own. Issa asked Obama if he was “in as much denial as [his] ex-auto #czar on ‘success’ of #bailout?’” with a link to a Reason story showing how unsuccessful the bailout was. (White House uses Twitter to bully critics)
Even House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, blasted Obama on Twitter. “With 9.1% unemployment & “shovel ready” jobs a bust, will you admit the ‘stimulus’ was a mistake?,” Boehner tweeted, in addition to a slew of other jabs at Obama.
UPDATE 2:04 p.m.:
In addition to several other questions biting at Obama’s policies, House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, tweeted to the president, asking him “When will your Admin support policies that will force government to live within its means?”