Twitter — that succinct means of social communication that is becoming increasingly popular with the famous and not-so-famous — has been all a twitter over the highly touted health care reform summit featuring President Barack Obama (can he duplicate the success he had when he met with GOP Congressional bigwigs), Republicans (will they be prepared this time to match or trump Obama and be declared the victors for enhancing their image?) including Arizona Sen. John McCain (will McCain talk substance or continue his 2008 campaign complete with all the zingers as he faces a conservative GOP challenger in Arizona?) and Democrats (can they make the case or will health care reform be an achilles heel for many of them on mid-term election day).

Here’s a cross section of Tweets — not picked because people are well known but to offer you a variety of reactions:

roxanna_19 In the health-care summit room: smiles, smirks and serious looks: By BEN FELLER AP And this is what Barack Obama f… http://bit.ly/bInnuJ

NOLAGaYToR RT @LynCKos: @cnn I’m still watching the Health Care Summit, & I’d appreciate it if you’d stop cutting away w/commentary & other BS cc: @ricksanchezcnn

southernarcher WaPo: Little sign of common ground at health-care summit http://bit.ly/bZYCDz
less than a minute ago from UberTwitter

ConservNewMedia Dick Durbin plays “more people die” card. Ramping up voice for effect. #tcot #hcrsummit Health Care Summit
1 minute ago from web

marick Finally toddled over to the health care summit. My senator, Durbin, is rocking.
1 minute ago from MoodBlast

goldone RT @HunterDK: I will say, I admire Obama’s ability to keep his cool. If I were Prez there’d be a small stack of cream pies kept under that desk.
less than 10 seconds ago from TweetDeck

dweinberger Obama doing the good teacher thing: Summing up the issues before moving forward #hcr
less than 10 seconds ago from Tweetie

MikeBates #Obama’s #hcr session looks as though it’ll be almost as successful as his “jobs summit.” Remember that barker? #tcot #teaparty #glennbeck

wvconservative I can’t figure it there are so many gullable Liberals out there that Osama Obama can tell them anything and they buy it.
less than 20 seconds ago from web

MssBridgetR RT @TCOAmerica: Thank U McCain 4 talking-up #Texas Tort Reform & how well it has worked 4 all parties.. #govperry #txgov #tcot #hcrsummit
caffeinehusky RT @MWJ1231: McCain can’t for the life of him keep his disdain for this POTUS off his scowling face. /#rustyarsehaterGOP
half a minute ago from TweetDeck

Dly_Classified Did one of McCain’s aides brief him on last year’s election results?
2 minutes ago from web

AND (these are hand selected from those I follow on Twitter):

LARRY SABATO (one of the most accurate political analysts in the country and REQUIRED READING):

LarrySabato
At the summit, we just had the first-ever post-presidential-election “candidates debate”. There’s still no love lost between Obama & McCain.
about 4 hours ago via web

Retweeted by Center4Politics and 8 others

(Here are a few more Sabato reactions):

PR impact of health care summit is effectively over. Cable TV stayed with it all a.m. Now just partial coverage. Sizzle gone, steak uncooked
about 2 hours ago from web
Reply Retweet

Obama’s best shot in his now-uphill battle may be to bait GOP summiteers, provoking R response, uniting Dems in Congress to vote 4 reform.
about 4 hours ago from web

I’m no expert in nonverbal cues, but I get the distinct impression that POTUS is becoming increasingly irritated. No meeting of the minds.
about 4 hours ago from web

MARC AMBINDER:

Lots of jokes about “President McCain,” ha ha, — but he’s not wrong about the substance here — Dems cut a lot of deals & WH encouraged it.
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck

CRAIG CRAWFORD:

Health Care ‘Summit’ Posturing: Washington players just cannot give up their talking points. Rather than finding c… http://bit.ly/bnpN1T
about 3 hours ago via twitterfeed

MARKOS:

RT @KagroX: Ask GOPers at the #hcr summit flat out: If Dems don’t use reconciliation, would you allow a vote? They can simply consent to it
about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck

EZRA KLEIN:

There’s a difference between “we have the best health-care system in the world” and “I can buy the best health care in the world.”
29 minutes ago via web

A FEW FROM THE GOP’s DAVID FRUM:

Obama looking bored. Credit where due : He staved it off for 2 1/2 hours
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck
Reply Retweet

Obama slaps back: we’re not campaigning any more. And then tells McCain he’s engaged in the wrong debate. This is getting real …
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck

“Can I just finish please?” McCain slaps down the president. When was the last time a senator did THAT?
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck

A FEW FROM ED MORRISSEY (named CPAC Blogger of the Year):

Did the GOP sandbag Obama? http://is.gd/9b6jW Looks like Democrats miscalculated badly on this summit.
about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck
Reply Retweet

“Democrats were pretty much on their knees.” http://is.gd/9b5Rg
about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck

Reid: No one’s talking reconciliation!! Except, well, me #tcot http://is.gd/9b0uc Dishonesty

about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck

A FEW FROM KARL ROVE:

Republicans have facts and the American people on their side at today’s HC summit: http://bit.ly/bhHSSl #TCOT #SGP
2 minutes ago via HootSuite
Reply Retweet

GOP can avoid the WH political theater & make today’s health care summit a serious debate: http://bit.ly/bhHSSl #TCOT #SGP
about 2 hours ago via HootSuite
Tips for Republicans at today’s health care summit: http://bit.ly/bhHSSl #TCOT #SGP
about 6 hours ago via HootSuite

A FEW FROM PETER DAO:

#hcr summit a major missed opportunity for Dems to show the vacuity of GOP talking points
about 1 hours ago via web
Reply Retweet

Fox: rightwingers will “explode” if Dems use reconciliation. Truth: the actual response will be underwhelming
about 1 hours ago via web

On two prez campaigns, I’ve done my share of rapid response – but I really wonder if fact-checking even matters with GOP #hcr
about 2 hours ago via web

Can’t make it up– Wolf Blitzer: “we’re going to make sure we hear every word president is saying … now let’s go to a break”

OLIVER WILLIS MONITORED RUSH LIMBAUGH:

icymi: rush limbaugh says u dont need #hcr for your teeth, u shld just use #applesauce http://bit.ly/aOUFA3 #p2
6 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Reply Retweet
rush limbaugh’s ideas about health care come right out of a dickens novel #applesauce
7 minutes ago via TweetDeck

DONNA BRAZILE

Remember this folks:Even Before Summit, Republicans Declared It A Failure | Media Matters Action Network http://shar.es/m0uI6 via @sharethis
half a minute ago via web
Retweeted by you

ALSO:
The Wall Street Journal has this collection of the “best Tweets” on the summer.

Now you can follow Joe Gandelman on Twitter

UPDATE: Also of related interest:
–Today’s Health Care Summit, via Twitter: The Sequel
—Tweeting the Health Care Summit
—The Healthcare Battle in Congress, on Twitter

JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief

Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.

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