In his speech last night the President asked everyone to call or contact their representatives and let them know what they wanted. Almost immediately, the phone lines lit up, with reports of some servers crashing under the weight. The overwhelming message appears to be: cut a deal, dammit.
Dave Weigel has some samples of what they're saying. I think my favorite is the one sent to Dan Burton:
I write to merely register my concern as your constituent, in the grand tradition of our great American citizenry. I want you to support efforts to raise the debt limit by whatever means necessary. You were sent to Washington to be a responsible adult. Responsible adults pay their bills; they do not seek politically-convenient reasons to decline to pay certain obligations. They do not play games with peoples' lives, their well-being, their jobs, or the fate of their nations. Regardless of how you may feel about federal debts, deficit spending, the president, or Democrats in Congress, it is your Constitutional duty to protect the American people, to promote their interests, and to keep the country great. Default will do none of those things, in either the short- or long-term.
Under no circumstances will I bring myself to support your candidacy in the future, or the candidacy of any current federal official, in the event of default. Should we as a country default, and end up on the so-called "trash bin of history" with the Romans, the Greeks, and countless other great nations, I can only hope that our Creator will have more pity on you than will the American people.
God bless you and you entertain what will be a politically-difficult choice. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.
He did have one that was not in support of raising the debt ceiling. Patrick wrote:
I am a libertarian who will be calling my Senators and Representative tomorrow to urge them not to raise the debt ceiling without huge spending cuts in an effort to balance out all the Democrats who will be doing the opposite because of Obama.
And just now, word that Boehner's plan does not have the votes to pass the House. Club for Growth, Michele Bachmann and the Tea Party all oppose it. Looks like John Boehner's speakership may be finished, and maybe Eric Cantor too, since he just told Republicans to "quit whining and vote."
