WASHINGTON (CNN) - John McCain said during the presidential campaign that he "never felt the particular need to e-mail," but he has apparently developed an urge to Twitter.
McCain recently began sending tweets to the more than 88,000 Twitter users following him online, offering brief updates on floor votes, media appearances and his hometown Phoenix Suns.
"steve nash hurt? amare too! what now for the suns!," he wrote about the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
Senators have been slower than their House colleagues to embrace the micro-blogging technology, but several members of the upper chamber - notably Missouri's Claire McCaskill and Iowa's Charles Grassley - have been among the most prolific twitterers on Capitol Hill.
While other senators appear on Twitter, many of them (or their staffers) simply use the site to send out formal-looking messages and press releases. But McCain spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan told CNN the Arizona Republican is sending out his own authentic tweets.
According to his Twitter page, the senator is following updates from a handful of journalists who covered his campaign, as well as from a few members of his South Carolina campaign staff.
Buchanan also revealed that McCain is now wielding a brand new BlackBerry, which he picked up in January. That marks a great leap forward for the senator, who spent the campaign attached to his Motorola Razr phone, but never used a PDA.
Throughout the campaign, McCain suffered from the perception that he didn't quite understand the Internet, an assessment that proved damaging in a race against a young, tech-savvy opponent. In an interview with the New York Times last July, McCain said he knew how to use a BlackBerry, but that he didn't have his own.
"I use the BlackBerry, but I don't e-mail, I've never felt the particular need to e-mail," he told the paper.
– CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
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It's ridiculous that Eliot Engel had the nerve to comment back on Anderson's comment. It's pathetic that senators wasted that much time to get an autograph from the president like a groupie. Mr. Engel don't you think it would be a better idea to draft a wonderful and very much needed peice of legislation that would capture the president's attention immediately. Then he would just invite you into his office, don't you think? I think congressmen should be paid by the hour, give them a time clock, and lets fire them when they are late!
beyond popular belief I love arizona, there are so many great people in arizona. Senator McCain should feel privledge to represent such wonderful people from a truley unique and awesome state.... (With the exception of the sheriff, he alienate's and stamps on peoples rights)
Thumbs up! I'm glad that politcians are trying to connect and stay in touch with their constituents.
Who finds John McCain the least bit interesting......nobody!
Last election proved that.
Proving he's still got "hip".........John McCain is a ninny.
Never seen the need to email, maybe because he knows how dangerous that would be for his life and reputation. Wait 'til we get to read some of the comments that he is a "twit" about. It will only be a matter of time before his actions will be troublesome for his future.
I'll bet Cindy gave it to him for Christmas. He'll ditch it in the "junk drawer" before too long.
Let me guess, he has one for every house and car he ownes.
he should resign along with obama.
Why is this old coot revelant?
wow mccain just started using blackberry but he cant use emails hahahah than whats the reason to use blackberry device if you dont know how to do emails...... this guy is stupid and ignorant
Suddenly the war injuries that prevented him from using the Internet and email have vanished? Odd.
Right. You mean an aide to John McCain is on Twitter sending Tweets pretending to be John McCain.
He probably keeps answering his paper weight.
Its so old news. what is he gonna with blckbberry . just try stay on news. go away please
Poor John, he actually imagines somebody is reading his stuff.
I'd like to know what his handle is on Twitter!
This should be interesting!
Oh McCain, you hateful old goat.....it's way too little, way too late.
Is this old fool still around????? I thoughthe was in Crawford, or Dallas, sucking on a Jim Beam bottle with his old buddy..The BUSH..
He looks like death warmed over...
Um.... your a little too late to be getting in the game now mccain
McCain increasingly looks like the past: Angry old white Republican guys.
He is not smart enough to use e-mail...He is the biggest phony in the Congress.
i'm all a-twitter....maybe , by 2012, he'll get the hang of it....or one of his "young Turks" -payin' Palin? hip-hop beyond-the-leading-edge Steele? or Bobby -Bollywood Jindal?.....is this reality TV, or what?...:-)
Too bad he is also picking up the horrible habit of not using caps when he writes...I'd think an educated man of his generation would use proper grammar and punctuation no matter what.