Hillary Clinton joins Twitter
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By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Twitter, meet @HillaryClinton.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joined Twitter on Monday, describing herself with a dash of humor as a "pantsuit aficionado"and a "hair icon."
The former New York senator and first lady sent out her first tweet under the handle (at)HillaryClinton. In her first tweet, Clinton thanked the creators of the popular online parodies called "Texts from Hillary," and said, "I'll take it from here." She added a hashtag #tweetsfromhillary.
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The potential 2016 presidential candidate's profile page on the microblogging service shows the infamous photo of a stern-looking Clinton wearing dark sunglasses and reading her Blackberry aboard a military plane while leading the State Department during President Barack Obama's first term.
Her biography section includes light-hearted descriptions such as "hair icon,'' "pantsuit aficionado," and "glass ceiling cracker." The bio ends with the letters ``TBD," meaning, "to be determined," which could be a reference to her potential White House bid.
After only a few hours, Clinton had racked up more than 100,000 followers.
Twitter quickly opened up the cyber welcome mat for Clinton. Former President Bill Clinton, who joined Twitter in April after some nudging from comedian Stephen Colbert, welcomed his wife, asking, "Does (at)Twitter have a family share plan?" Daughter Chelsea Clinton retweeted her mother's first tweet and added, "Welcome Mom!"
Supporters and opponents alike tweeted out messages to her handle, with some encouraging her to run for president. Well-wishers included talk show host Larry King, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Rocker Tommy Lee tweeted, "Welcome to Tweeeeeeeeter Hillary!"
Twitter could become an effective medium for Clinton, who has kept a relatively low profile since departing the State Department earlier this year. Obama used Twitter throughout his re-election campaign to connect with his millions of followers and urge them to support his campaign.
