Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) took to Twitter on Wednesday to declare that he selected a prominent ex-Libertarian to join his Senate campaign as an informal adviser.
Politicians rarely, if ever, use Twitter to make such announcements. Instead, they usually turn to press releases or news conferences.
Blunt tweeted:
I want to welcome @mferguson1971 to the Republican Party and the Blunt campaign. We are excited to have Mike’s help and advice.
@mferguson1971, better known as Mike Ferguson, is a prominent Missouri political talk show host. His Twitter bio describes him as a “communications consultant extraordinaire.”
According to his website, Ferguson was an active Libertarian for over fourteen years before announcing his switch to the Republican Party today. Last year, Ferguson served as field director for Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr.
Ferguson’s role with Blunt was unclear at first. The St. Louis Beacon, an online publication, reported:
Ferguson said there are no plans for him to join Blunt’s staff or get on any Republican payroll.
Later today, Dave Catanese, who is political reporter for Springfield, Mo. NBC affiliate KY3, told Twitter Room
Informal adviser is his title, I’m told by Blunt’s camp.