House Republicans hope to catch up to Obama on use of new-media tools

The House GOP Conference has signed a contract with a text-messaging company as Republicans race to get up to speed on new-media tools that helped President Barack Obama win the White House. Constituent Mobile, an affiliate of the same company that ran Obama's text messaging campaign in 2008, will help House Republicans boost relations with voters back home through text messaging. The contract is part of a new-media strategy implemented by Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Conference Vice Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) that they hope will pay dividends in the long run.