Republicans co-opt Obama Twitter hashtag to attack economic record

Republicans have again co-opted an Obama administration slogan to mock the president. 

On Monday, the GOP used Obama's #WeCantWait hashtag to criticize Democrats for the state of the economy.

"#WeCantWait to make @BarackObama a one-term president," tweeted Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.

The administration launched the social media campaign to buoy public support for a set of stimulus-oriented executive actions the president plans to announce throughout the week.

"Using the mantra 'we can’t wait,' the President will highlight executive actions that his administration will take," said White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer in a blog post. "He’ll continue to pressure Congressional Republicans to put country before party and pass the American Jobs Act, but he believes we cannot wait, so he will act where they won't."

In mid-September, Obama's campaign staff began using the #AttackWatch hashtag on Twitter to promote an attempt to fight misinformation. But use of that slogan also appeared to backfire when Republicans and conservative commentators used it to ridicule Obama in their own tweets.

Other trending topics suggested by the Democrats — such as a #passthisbill meme intended to support the president's jobs bill — have been co-opted as well.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) used the #WeCantWait tag to criticize Senate Democrats for not taking up House-passed jobs bills. He tweeted, "#WeCantWait for Senate Democrats to approve more than a dozen House-passed bills #4jobs."

That tweet came shortly after Boehner tweeted that Republicans were eager to work with the president and Senate Democrats to come to agreement. Boehner tweeted, "#WeCantWait for POTUS & Democrats to work with Republicans to find common ground #4jobs."

Other Republican lawmakers joined Boehner's efforts on Twitter to encourage Senate Democrats to take up the measures.

On Monday afternoon, Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) tweeted, " #WeCantWait for the Senate to pass the #Forgotten15 jobs bills passed by the House #4jobs gop.gov/jobs."

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