FLOTUS Twitter Account Won't Be Active During Government Shutdown

More than 500,000 Twitter followers of @FLOTUS first lady Michelle Obama will be cut off during the government shutdown that took effect Monday, and the announcement elicited an outpouring of venom, primarily aimed at Obama.

Obama’s team sent the following tweet (her personal tweets are designated with an “–mo”):

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Due to Congress’s failure to pass legislation to fund the government, updates to this account will be limited. #Shutdown

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) October 1, 2013

And the conversations started. . .

@FLOTUS Isn't twitter free?

— TomReadmond (@tomreadmond) October 1, 2013

@FLOTUS leave it to the obamas. Someone is sending them a twitter bill every month. And they are dumb enough to pay it. #nottheirmoney

— Politically Social (@politically_soc) October 1, 2013

.@FLOTUS The shutdown was supposed to be a bad thing. #NarrativeFail

— Stephen Green (@VodkaPundit) October 1, 2013

Several online discussions centered around the fact that Twitter is free and shouldn’t be impacted by the shutdown, although many pointed out that staff members usually update the account. They’re paid.

THEY PAY WITH YOUR TAX DOLLARS to tweet...her staff. You didn't think she really tweets? .@tomreadmond .@FLOTUS

— Mom Mary (@coff33loveit) October 1, 2013

.@FLOTUS Ms First Lady, Twitter is actually free. Many of us use it throughout the day, even without taxpayer funding.

— David Seaman (@d_seaman) October 1, 2013

Online articles about the shutdown of Obama’s account (the White House account is still operating) took the opportunity to jab at the first lady. Wrote Front Page Magazine, “Which of Michelle Obama’s 16 assistants were hit by the Government Shutdown?

“Was it Chief of Staff for the First Lady Susan Sher ($172,200 a year) or Camille Y. Johnston, Director of Communications for the First Lady ($140,000 a year) or Melissa E. Winter, Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady ($102,000 a year).” 

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