Cuccinelli tweets, teapot tempest swirls

In case you missed it this morning, we wrote about how Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's attempt to convey a patriotic-themed joked at the expense of slain terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was nitpicked and misconstrued in social media circles because of a simple misspelling.

On the popular online messaging site Twitter, Cuccinelli posted Wednesday about his desire to “be one of the 72 Virginans [sic] Osama is 'hanging out' with since Sunday?”

The attorney general was referring to Virginians, but omitted an “i” when typing that word on his phone, according to a spokesman.

Cuccinelli's tweet quickly took on a life of its own when Twitter followers and a Huffington Post writer seized on the Tweet as an opportunity to tweak Cuccinelli.

In a follow-up message, Cuccinelli clarified his intent; he was citing an online joke that place bin Laden at the gates of heaven, taking a beating from historical Virginians including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Patrick Henry.

It concludes with these lines: “As Osama awaits his journey to his final very hot destination, he screams "This is not what I was promised! "An angel replies "I told you there would be 72 Virginians waiting for you. What did you think I said?"

-- Julian Walker

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