Chirp, chirp: A Twitter war has begun.
30 Rock star and avid political mouthpiece on Twitter, Alec Baldwin, traded shots with State Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) on Wednesday, after the Senate Majority Leader criticized Baldwin for supporting higher taxes.
The war of tweets between Massapequa-native Baldwin and the LI senator started after Skelos made an appearance on a public radio show The Capitol Pressroom and discussed his opposition to tax hikes on the wealthy.
“A lot of good things were accomplished in last year’s budget fiscally, and we have to continue that way,” Skelos said on the program. “We can’t be sidetracked. We can’t be influenced by the Alec Baldwins of the world that are just buying a $17 million condo in Greenwich Village, and he’s going to tell us that we should tax everybody else.”
Baldwin, who has voiced his support for the Occupy Wall Street movement and reportedly visited Zuccotti Park recently, was obviously paying attention. So he shot back.
“Only a Nassau County Republican tool like Dean Skelos could drag my name into a debate on state income tax,” jabbed Baldwin, who has over 400,000 Twitter followers.
The OWS movement has put rich Americans in the spotlight, and according to a new study by a wealth research firm, New York has the most people in the country worth more than $30 million, further igniting frustrated Americans, and even some of those who are rich, like Baldwin.
In reaction to Skelos’ comments, Baldwin created two hashtags directed at Skelos: “#noonedistortsthefactslikedeanskelos” and “#noonelieslikedeanskelos.”
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
Baldwin followed up his “tool” comment, by saying he pays more in income taxes in one year, than “Skelos pays in 20.” He then challenged the senator to join him in a press conference so he can prove he gives more back to the government year-after-year.
Skelos, who rarely tweets and has under 1,000 followers, was at a clear disadvantage going into the Twitter bout, but he responded to Baldwin, saying, “If @AlecBaldwin thinks I’m wrong, he must think Gov Cuomo is too since he agrees with me u can’t raise taxes on businesses, working people.”
He then took another jab at the popular actor for working as a spokesperson for bank giant, Capital One, adding, that Baldwin is a hypocrite for fighting against corporate greed.
Clearly ready to squash the beef, Skelos predicted how 30 Rock will end.
“@AlecBaldwin BTW, think Jack Donaghy gets together with Liz Lemon in the end.”
Ugh. We were expecting more from Mr. Skelos.
