RICHMOND 
 
 Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli was reminded of the political pitfalls of social media Wednesday when Twitter and some online news sites went wild over a tweet he sent about the death of Osama bin Laden. 
 
 "How much would I give to be one of the 72 Virginans Osama is 'hanging out' with since Sunday?" Cuccinelli wrote. 
 
 The attorney general was referring to a joke about bin Laden's death that's made the rounds on the Internet. It places bin Laden at the gates of heaven, taking drubbing after drubbing from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Patrick Henry, among others. 
 
 As they're about to send him to the underworld, bin Laden screams, "This is not what I was promised!" An angel replies, "I told you there would be 72 Virginians waiting for you. What did you think I said?" 
 
 The joke apparently wasn't as well-known as Cuccinelli thought, and his misspelling of "Virginian" didn't help. 
 
 A Huffington Post writer seized on the tweet. 
 
 "Is Cuccinelli a virgin, or was he - perhaps more disturbingly - shooting for 'Virginians' with this tweet?" Jason Linkins wrote on the news site, guessing Cuccinelli might have been wishing he'd been part of the Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL unit credited with taking out bin Laden in Pakistan. 
 
 "But this would be an odd way of communicating that desire," Linkins added. "At any rate, until I hear otherwise, I'm just going to assume that Ken Cuccinelli wants to make love to Osama bin Laden in hell." 
 
 Linkins later discovered the Virginians joke and posted an update with a link to it. 
 
 Cuccinelli also tried to clarify with a follow-up: "It seems some were confused by my earlier tweet. Read it closely:... 72 Virginians... " 
 
 Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com ||||| I'm really not sure if this is an example of a bit of tweet-snark gone terribly awry, or maybe an account that's been hacked, but Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has sent one of the strangest tweets ever in response to the death of infamous terrorist Osama bin Laden. 
 
 How much would I give to be one of the 72 Virginans Osama is 'hanging out' with since Sunday? Ken Cuccinelli 
 
 KenCuccinelli 
 
 For real: what is going on here? Why is Cuccinelli going all Mitch Albom on Osama bin Laden? Does he really want to service bin Laden, sexually, in the great beyond? Maybe he plans to give the dead terrorist the "blue balls?" And is Cuccinelli a virgin, or was he -- perhaps more disturbingly -- shooting for "Virginians" with this tweet? It's possible that Cuccinelli is trying to say that he wishes he had been part of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, more informally known as "SEAL Team Six," who conducted the raid on bin Laden's compound and who are garrisoned in Virginia at the Naval Air Station's Dam Neck Annex. But this would be an odd way of communicating that desire. 
 
 At any rate, until I hear otherwise, I'm just going to assume that Ken Cuccinelli wants to make love to Osama bin Laden in hell. Keep calm and carry on! 
 
 UPDATE: 10:43 AM -- It may be that Cuccinelli is referencing a (very poorly written) joke. In which case, here are some suggestions for "best practices" on Twitter. First, it's "Virginians." Second, you might want to include a link to the joke in your tweet, so that people don't think you've taken complete leave of your senses. 
 
 Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here. ||||| 72 Virginians waiting 
 
 Posted by KEVIN on March 28, 192002 at 11:10:34 
 
 After getting nailed by a Daisy Cutter, Osama made his way 
 
 to the pearly gates. There, he is greeted by George Washington. 
 
 "How dare you attack the nation I helped conceive!" yells Mr. 
 
 Washington, slapping Osama in the face. 
 
 Patrick Henry comes up from behind. "You wanted to end the 
 
 Americans' liberty, so they gave you death!" Henry punches 
 
 Osama on the nose. 
 
 James Madison comes up next, and says "This is why I allowed 
 
 the Federal government to provide for the common defense!" 
 
 He drops a large weight on Osama's knee. 
 
 Osama is subject to similar beatings from John Randolph of 
 
 Roanoke, James Monroe, and 65 other people who have the 
 
 same love for liberty and America. As he writhes on the ground, 
 
 Thomas Jefferson picks him up to hurl him back toward the gate 
 
 where he is to be judged. 
 
 As Osama awaits his journey to his final very hot destination, 
 
 he screams "This is not what I was promised!" 
 
 An angel replies "I told you there would be 72 Virginians 
 
 waiting for you. What did you think I said?"
– Virginia's attorney general learned all about the dangers of Twitter yesterday, when he sent out a tweet that made at least one writer think he wanted to "service bin Laden, sexually, in the great beyond." The offending tweet from Ken Cuccinelli: "How much would I give to be one of the 72 Virginans Osama is 'hanging out' with since Sunday?" Of course, some assumed he meant "virgins," which led to quite an uproar, reports the Virginian-Pilot. "Is Cuccinelli a virgin, or was he—perhaps more disturbingly—shooting for 'Virginians' with this tweet?" wondered Jason Linkins on the Huffington Post. Turns out Cuccinelli was, in fact, aiming for "Virginians," in reference to a joke that went around the Internet recently. (Think bin Laden being greeted after death by 72 such names as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, rather than the virgins he expected—read the entire joke here.) Cuccinelli quickly clarified his tweet, and even spelled Virginians correctly the second time around—but apparently didn't pick up on his initial typo.