Politics
How Twitter reacted to Berkley's Bad Day
Nevada Senate candidate Shelley Berkley is now the official target of a House Ethics subcommittee, investigating charges that she supported health care bills that directly benefited her husband. Here's how it played out on Twitter:
- In 2011, The New York Times published a story about Rep. Shelley Berkley that detailed her questionable support for kidney care programs that often financially benefited her husband. Days later, the state Republican party submitted this complaint to the House Ethics committee, which decided today to form a special investigative committee to look into any possible wrongdoing by Berkley.Here's how it broke down on Twitter:
9 minutes until 5:00 p.m. EST and no word from House Ethics on @RepBerkley... #ticktock- @JodiStephens, who is listed as the Executive Director at Nevada Senate Republican Caucus on her LinkedIn account, was the first to break the news, beating @RalstonFlash by about half a second.
Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding Representative Shelley Berkley ethics.house.gov/press-release/… #nvsen- House ethics to move ahead on investigation of @RepBerkley, form subcommittee. Conaway will chair. Donna F. Edwards, ranking member. #nvsen
Subcommittee will look into whether @RepBerkley broke House ethics rules. No deadline for that report, so it may be after election.
HEthics "has determined to take this action based upon a discretionary review of the allegations, as well as evidence obtained' @repberkley
.@DeanHeller just got a big present from House Ethics, which annced it voted to estab investigative subcmte into @RepBerkley- In addition to the breaking news tweets and instant analysis, several people also weighed in a more partisan fashion. Most national news organizations (like Politico) saw the committee as essentially a death sentence for Berkley's campaign
@RepBerkley Waiting for a response... I bet it's a little difficult to cultivate an excuse out of this one. #EthicsInvestigation
@RalstonFlash @RepBerkley How much of this is pure #gop distraction & obstruction?? #Gopfail #gopidiocy- Instant punditry on @RepBerkley: Decision is second-best outcome. Final ruling won't come until after Nov., when she's out either way.
BOOOOOOOOOOM That's devastating for the Dems in #NVSen RT @ralstonflash: House Ethics to move forward on @RepBerkley.
.@RalstonFlash interviewed @RepBerkley about the ethics issues a week or two ago bit.ly/Nl4NWh #nvsen
In a purely political move to hurt a first class candidate for Senate, US House Ethics's Committee to investigate Rep. #ShellyBerkley #NVSen
