29 Comments - Lunchbox - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:37 am: Yeesh, and it goes on. So then what happened, his campaign website was inaccurate, or the story was made up, or what? - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:38 am: –It was never “necessary” while campaigning. I did not post the tweet you quote. A staffer did.– The tweet was under your name and written in the first person. It’s preposterous to claim that it wasn’t you. It’s like when Charles Barkley claimed he was misquoted in his autobiography. But Chuck’s cool. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:39 am: It’ll take a lot to dethrone the oddest and arguably worst GA twitterer, Mr. Grant Wehrli, but for a freshman, this is top-shelf awful. Twitter rarely helps a candidate or elected, it usually, at high volumes, ruins a candidate or elected… unless the crazy in the Twitter is solely for keeping base voters rabid as the candidates and elected do other ridiculous things besides tweeting. Coach Herm Edwards said it best; “Don’t press send” - ITEngineer - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:40 am: Lack of Leadership here. Leadership is accountable for their people. He granted them access so we can assume he agrees what whatever is posted. However, I’m going to assume he is competent in which case he reviewed and approved that message. Now that it’s been shown he votes different than his twitter message the right answer would be to own up to the mistake and move on THAT is leadership. Instead he shows a weakness of character I wouldn’t want in anyone I followed. - Buford - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:40 am: “I don’t control my own twitter” is never a good response. - ChrisB - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:40 am: Ahh, the old Shaggy defense. Always a classic. - Norseman - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:44 am: Traver gets the award for the must Trumpian Dem in the Freshman class. He now has the privilege of using “bigly” and “many people say” in future tweets. - Tell Me - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:46 am: Who were his staffers? I’m sure his constituency would like to know so they can vote for them next time. - Anon221 - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:49 am: Shades of Bruce “I’m Not In Charge (of my Twitter Account)” Rauner??? - NIU Grad - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:52 am: How to guarantee a well-funded primary challenge in one image: - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:55 am: Aside from the twitter controversy, going to the content…………aren’t these the people some want to tax (retirement income)? - FormerParatrooper - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 9:58 am: So he wasn’t for it before he was against it? - Perrid - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:03 am: @anonymous, most people don’t want to go after senior with low incomes. It’s the seniors making like $70k a year who have less of a hardship argument to stand on. Not all retirement income is the same, regardless of what AARP would have you believe. - Stormfield - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:07 am: That Twitter account is one to watch. He stayed snippy for a while. There is entertainment to be had, including “Oh wow, you figured it out. Thought I could trick you.” and “I changed my mind is a lie. Duh.” I’m digging it: https://twitter.com/Tarver25th/with_replies - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:10 am: Let’s revist the “OW Twitter Rules” If you are so heck-bent on tweeting and you are an elected official or Staff, here are the “rules” If you can NOT follow these rules - Do Not Tweet Ever. 1) Never tweet in real time anything that can’t be easily tweeted by anyone else. Let them do it. 2) “Don’t Press ‘Tweet’… ” Coach Herm Edwards had it right. You don’t need to tweet everything, on anything, all the time. 3) Never take pictures of Documents. Ever. Do y’all realize all the information that can be found? Dates, “CCs”, Who coulda drafted it. Documents are never to be tweeted. Ever. 4) Pictures are for “after” - like a “Later-Tweet” or “LaterGram”. Not one person cares at that real time moment how cute the dog is, how big the sandwich is, or how important you think you are. 5) Get off Twitter. Thank you. - Just Me 2 - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:13 am: Speaking of bad social media behavior: https://medium.com/@global_molar_body/ald-mell-staffer-caught-using-fake-account-to-pose-as-undecided-voter-mislead-and-attack-eaec9e30db59 With the prevelance of fake social media accounts I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. - unspun - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:14 am: Isn’t it possible to be against overpriced rent AND not believe that statutory “rent control” is THE solution? It’s not even particularly nuanced–why is it so hard to grasp? - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:16 am: ===why is it so hard to grasp? === What’s so hard to grasp is how you could totally miss the point of this post. - JS Mill - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:18 am: ==It’ll take a lot to dethrone the oddest and arguably worst GA twitterer, Mr. Grant Wehrli, but for a freshman, this is top-shelf awful.== I would like to add a hearty “Harumph” to the above. Spot on. - Montrose - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:46 am: Dude, your twitter account said you support rent control. You voted against rent control. Don’t get all snarky and indignant because people are pointing that out. You are not even three months into being a legislator, and this is how your respond to criticism of your first hard vote? It reminds me a former legislator who would flip out because lobbyist tried to talk to her all the time. It’s the job. You better figure out a better way of managing yourself pretty quickly. - Anon - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:49 am: These screenshots should be featured prominently in the primary ads. - Fixer - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:51 am: Politics isn’t a pillow fight. This guy had better get used to people asking tough questions when you flip on an issue you’re out there publicly supporting during a campaign. And if this is how you react… you’re going to have a bad time in the GA. - Trapped in the 'burbs - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 10:52 am: It might be a rookie mistake or it might be his debut as a knucklehead. - khill - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 11:28 am: Just say no to Twitter. - My thoughts - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 12:05 pm: I recently asked Chris Welch on his State Representative Facebook account why his recent corporate board bill did not make a distinction for Hispanics in Illinois, I was subsequently blocked. - NoGifts - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 12:17 pm: You don’t review communications going out of your office? - Chicago Ward 34 - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 12:27 pm: His vote on rent control was definitely sketchy, given where his districted is located and who his constituents are. I wonder what induced his vote. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 1:51 pm: You’re responsible for what your staff says on your account. Admit you made a mistake, apologize and try to do some good for your constituents so they don’t remember this in 18 months. - McGuppin - Tuesday, Apr 2, 19 @ 2:27 pm: A twitter break may be in order. That said, I think Tarver is one of the most impressive freshmen in this unusually large freshman class. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.