P.J. Crowley's top 10 tweets

This is from Josh Rogin over at The Cable.

P.J. Crowley's top 10 tweets

When State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley resigned on Sunday afternoon, the U.S. diplomatic establishment didn't just lose its top spokesman -- it also lost one of its most prolific, entertaining, and sharp-tongued tweeters. Since Crowley began tweeting in May 2010, he's told off dictators, criticized Congress, and talked some baseball as well, 140 characters at a time.

Crowley's Twitter personality mirrored his real-life personality -- affable, edgy, sometimes sarcastic, and occasionally a little off-message. Crowley's energy and willingness to take measured risks by going beyond the Obama administration's standard talking points is what endeared him to the reporters he worked with each day. It was that same openness that cost him his job, after he admitted that he believed the Marine Corps' treatment of alleged WikiLeaks source Private Bradley Manning was "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."

Crowley's last tweet before resigning was a gem, but he deleted it. "We've been watching hopeful #tsunami sweep across #MiddleEast. Now seeing a tsunami of a different kind sweep across Japan," read the March 11 tweet.

Of the remaining 400-plus tweets he sent out to his 24,000-plus followers, here are The Cable's top 10, in reverse chronological order:

March 1, 7:08 a.m.: "#Qaddafi tells #ABCNews: All my people with me, they love me. They will die to protect me. The #Libyan people tell Qaddafi: You go first!"

[...]

Feb. 22, 7:28 p.m.: "We are surprised that #Argentina has chosen not to resolve a simple dispute involving training equipment. And we still want our stuff back."


Feb. 16, 7:56 a.m.: "#KimJongIl's son attended an #EricClapton concert in Singapore? Actually, the #DearLeader himself would benefit from getting out more often."


Jan. 22, 5:40 a.m.: "The claim by the lawyer for #JulianAssange that his client could go to #Guantanamo is pure legal fantasy. Save it for the movie."

[...]

Aug. 27, 5:38 p.m.: "Americans should heed our #travel warning and avoid North Korea. We only have a handful of former Presidents. http://go.usa.gov/cAO #DPRK"

You can read the entire article here.

PJ started tweeting while I worked for him, and I used to love to listen to him come up with some zingers (the best ones never got published). The Cable left out two of my favs that did though:

June 11:
@chavezcandanga sings to @SecClinton? Can #Vegas be far behind? Maybe he should stay in Vegas.

May 12:
Heard that Hugo Chavez has 200 people helping him tweet. Here at State, I have two. Out-numbered, but not out-gunned.

Absolutely.