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Directory Taps Into Twitter Fad

In yet another sign of just how ubiquitous Twitter has become on Capitol Hill, the latest edition of a comprehensive directory of all Members of Congress includes each tweeting Member’s alias on the microblogging service.

For the second session of the 111th Congress, Congress at Your Fingertips — which is published by the CQ-Roll Call Group — printed the Internet nom de plume alongside a Member’s office address, phone number and Web site, said David Meyers, Congressional Quarterly’s managing editor of Member Information and Research, the department tasked with collecting and editing all the material in the directories.

“We’re always looking for ways to make the book better,” Meyers said. “With Twitter being so popular, we thought it would make a good addition.”

Some Members’ handles are pretty intuitive: Indiana Republican “RepMikePence” is easy to find; so is Alabama’s Democratic Rep. “ArturDavis.” But others aren’t. Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) tweets under the name “clairecmc,” and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) goes by “jasoninthehouse.”

Meyers said the guide will include other new features, too, like seniority rankings and a pronunciation guide for Members whose names aren’t pronounced exactly as they’re spelled — House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), for instance, shows up as “BAY-ner.”

The book will also list percentage scores for how often Members vote along party lines or with the president. And as an add-on, buyers can order Roll Call’s 10 Staffers to Know pages, too.

For those more inclined toward the executive branch, there’s a whole new book this year: Executive Branch at Your Fingertips. The directory provides contact information for officials in the White House, Cabinet and federal agencies, as well as foreign embassies in the United States.

The books can be ordered now at
capitoladvantage.com.

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