“benpolitico: times tough: @azipaybarah cutting own hair.”

The item is short, true, and was written a few seconds after the words left my mouth. I was sitting at my desk in City Hall making some idle conversation with a source when part of the talk went online.

Not that it was all that surprising. These days, if you don't share, chances are someone else will do the sharing for you.

I've been doing my best for a while now to get well into this spirit of full (or excess, depending on your taste) disclosure.

On Youtube, I’ve posted an interview with my mom, and more than once let some local politicos take over my camera and subject me to their questions. On Flickr, pictures from my vacation are interspersed with shots of Michael Bloomberg and David Paterson. On Facebook, “friends” I’ve met while covering their campaigns now know which high school I went to and how often I miss my favorite Wednesday night television show.

That was all before Twitter.

Now, rapid-fire Tweets have stripped away all bells and whistles from today’s multi-dimensional communication arts and put into everyone’s hands a haiku Uzi.

This Twittery new landscape on which New York politicos meet their online audiences is dramatically different from what existed just a couple of years ago, meaning that the online reporting world that followed Michael Bloomberg’s first re-election looks nothing like the one that will follow his second.

Dissemination of news is instantaneous. The gathering part is quicker too.

Take, as an example, me: Twitter helps me find what's floating out there, letting me aggregate RSS feeds into a cascade of, well, everything. Sometimes, it acts like a comments section detached from any particular web site or blog entry. Other times it acts like a quicker (and more public) form of email. I asked a New York Times employee, over Twitter, who else in his company uses the site. Minutes later, over Twitter, he sent me the list. (Thanks again.)

The PolitickerNY site automatically feeds stories to Twitter, using a formula most web sites do: the headline is the body of the lede are sucked into the body of the Tweet and then there’s a link to read more if you like. Additionally, I go on Twitter, using my own name, to write my own Tweets that let people know in the shortest possible terms what I have to offer.

A growing vanguard of local politicos and journalists seems to be warming to the possibilities of doing likewise. Earlier this month, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum starting Twittering, making her the latest New York politico to enter the hasty new world of unfiltered, incremental communication with the public.

Here are a few more Twitterers:

Michael Bloomberg, mayor

http://twitter.com/mikebloomberg

Howard Wolfson, Bloomberg spokesman

http://twitter.com/howiewolf

Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg aide

http://twitter.com/kevinsheekey

Bill Thompson, comptroller

http://twitter.com/Thompson2009

Jeff Simmons, Thompson spokesman

http://twitter.com/JackHites

Christine Quinn, Council speaker

http://twitter.com/quinn2009

Bill de Blasio, councilman

http://twitter.com/billdeblasio

Eric Gioia, councilman

http://twitter.com/ericgioia

Eli Richlin, Gioia spokesman

http://twitter.com/elirichlin

The Working Families Party

http://twitter.com/WorkingFamilies

Patrick LaForge, Times editor

http://twitter.com/palafo

Sewell Chan, Times reporter

http://twitter.com/sewell_chan

Errol Louis, Daily News columnist

http://twitter.com/errollouis

Alex Zablocki, public advocate candidate

http://twitter.com/alexforpa

KT McFarland, former Republican Senate candidate

http://twitter.com/ktmcfarland

Joseph Mercurio, consultant

http://twitter.com/Natpol

Brooklyn Young Republicans

http://twitter.com/BrooklynYR

Andrew Hawkins, City Hall News reporter

http://twitter.com/andyjayday

John DeSio, Riverdale Review reporter

http://twitter.com/johndesio

The New York City Council

http://twitter.com/NYCCouncil

Me

http://twitter.com/azipaybarah

[Image captured by Nicholas Carr at Britannica Blog]

Now, Gioia's allies are elaborating.

In announcing an endorsement of Gioia yesterday, the president of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, Bruce Booth, repeatedly refers to Gioia’s early dedication to supporting the union’s agenda.

In a statement released by Gioia’s campaign, Booth said, “The campaign to be the next New York City Public Advocate will have several very fine candidates. However it was over two years ago when Councilmember Eric Gioia came to the leadership and members of UFCW Local1500 and detailed how as Public Advocate he would pursue and aggressive agenda to help UFCW Local 1500 membership with their core issues.”

Both went on to say, “His early commitment to the race, combined with his dedication over the years as a Queens Councilmember to helping Local 1500 members, is why Local 1500 is proud to support Eric Gioia to be the next Public Advocate of for the City of New York.”

Got it.

De Blasio had been an active candidate for Brooklyn Borough President until term limits were extended, enabling the incumbent in that office a chance to run for re-election. After the current public advocate announced she wouldn't seek re-election, de Blasio entered the race.

Also worth noting: Gioia hired a campaign manager, Eli Richlin. Richlin is a Harvard grad whom I met a few years ago when he was starting out as a press secretary for Gioia. Richlin moved up but eventually left for grad school and, it seems, has returned.

According to Gioia’s latest campaign finance filing, Richlin was hired in December.