SPRINGFIELD --  First there were blogs, then there was Facebook... now there's Twitter.

It's new technology that Missouri politicians are increasingly tapping to better communicate with their constituents.

And Sen. Claire McCaskill has already been named one of the top Twitterers in D.C.

As President Obama prepared to address the nation Tuesday night, more than 9,000 loyal follower received real-time updates from McCaskill from the House floor.

She was Twittering.  In plain language, Twittering is instant status posting that you can send or receive on your computer or phone.

Just make sure the message is 140 characters or less.

It's part of the online phenomenon that Drury University professor Charlie Ess says, is changing politics.

"It's easy and it's effective," said Ess, who has written a book on information and technology.  "When people get these messages, they feel connected."

On her Twitter page Wednesday, McCaskill told KY3 News she began "tweeting," -- another variation of the word -- to instantly share the excitement of January's inauguration.

"On the optimistic side, what this will do is increase democratic interaction.  It will flatten the hierarchy, it will increase communication.  It will make politics more democratic," says Ess.

But he still has concerns about how it will impact the public and politicians.

For example, McCaskill's been criticized because while she boasts more than 10-thousand followers, the only person she's following in return is her communications director.  That means she can Twitter updates to you.  But you can't message her.

In a Twitter message to KY3 Wednesday, McCaskill wrote, "The best part is being able to directly talk to Missourians about my day without reporters editing!"

On why she isn't a "follower," McCaskill twittered, "If I tried to follow 1,000s of people responsively then I would have no time for my job."

Ess said that's a worthwhile point that some Twitter critics will begin to raise the old fashioned way.

"How much time are they chewing up in this kind of activity rather than doing other things,?" Ess said.

Congressman Roy Blunt is also tapping into Twitter.  He has a Congressional page HERE. 

Blunt's U.S. Senate Twitter page is HERE.

To follow David Catanese's (mostly) political Twitters, head HERE.

You can also follow Ozarks Today on Twitter under OzarksToday...  http://twitter.com/OzarksToday