Congressman Issa and his staff wade into Facebook to get a little love for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Republicans. They are sure you are going to be as excited as they are about "Rooting out potential waste, fraud and abuse of tax-payer dollars."
But it seems the people who "like" them don't really like them...
Strangely, the commentary so far seems to be the opposite of what they expected.
People are pointing out that the page's mission statement, "Listening to America's job creators" is undemocratic because we are ALL constituents.
One person says,
You have asked business owners to detail how regulations hurt their businesses. Have you asked citizens/constituents/consumers how important regulations are to them? As a consumer and citizen, I demand regulations that restrict pollution, prevent deceptive practices, ensure product safety, and provide for safe workplaces. If I wanted to live in a country that sacrifices clean air and water, worker safety, and product safety to the god of making the largest profit possible, I would move to China!
People are asking the committee to apologize to Elizabeth Warren.
People are posting links to the dirt on Patrick McHenry.
People are calling into question core republican talking points:
Not sure where you get the notion that you would be in better shape if there were less federal government. I see that you are from Alabama, which means that you have the 8th lowest tax burden of any state. That is to say that, for every dollar your state pays in federal taxes, you get $1.61 FROM the federal government to keep your state afloat. In plain English, your state cannot take care of its citizens without help from the federal government. Please consider the facts before you make such statements.
Of course, there is the other side, the side the intended, bleating out claptrap such as:
Government at every level takes all it can grab, and emposes more regulations constanly on businesses, all in the name of public saftey. Gov't collects millions and billions, Promises to improve everyones life but the vast amount of our money is spent To Grow Gov't.
But on the whole, this foray into social networking seems not to be working out like they want it to! There are even accusations that they are deleting critical comments, and a new page has sprung up called House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Free Speech Zone.
You might have to LIKE their page to comment on it, but it is worth it to see how message control eludes them in a new environment.