Gibbs Clarifies "Tweet" Preservation Policy
After consulting with White House lawyers about the Presidential Records Act, Gibbs said any direct communications with him on Twitter will be preserved in the presidential archives.
The spokesman told reporters, "What I write and Tweet is archived." He said communications from people who respond directly to him and only to him would fall into the same category of sending an e-mail to the White House. Those e-mails are automatically archived under the provisions of the records law.
But Gibbs said what he described as "re-Tweets" of his comments or independent Tweets on his messages are not covered by the archives rules.
Gibbs, who has been seen simultaneously using two BlackBerries, joked that he started Tweeting because he had "free time." But, responding to questions from CBS News Senior White House Correspondent Bill Plante, Gibbs said it was "fascinating to watch (Twitter) in real time." He said it is "a good avenue for our voice to be heard." Gibbs also admitted, Twitter "can be addictive."
