If my US-based friends haven’t started leaning on your elected representatives yet, it’s time. And it’s not time to encourage them to “stand their ground” – it’s time to encourage the to engage in principled compromise and get the job done that needs doing. Here’s the language I used; feel free to copy or adapt it if you like.
Principled compromise is the foundation of progress in a multi-party system of governance. If you and the other leaders of our federal government continue to engage in protracted, immovable grandstanding on the debt ceiling, literally nothing will get accomplished beyond the long-term weakening of our already fragile economy. Pledges and other public statements by which you have backed yourself into a policy corner are not the concern of the American people. We really don’t care if there’s a path forward in which you can save face or not. We all feel like it’s absolutely unconscionable that this has dragged on this long. It’s time to quit grandstanding and engage in principled compromise to GET THE JOB DONE on raising the debt ceiling.
Used!!! Thank you David for a great start to a letter to Congress.
Thanks, I also used this letter today.
Awesome! I tweaked it a bit & posted on fb with the following link:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
“One of the primary foundations of our multi-party system of government is principled compromise. We are paying attention. We will no longer tolerate protracted and immovable grandstanding on the debt ceiling issue. We know the true purpose behind this “debate” is not the protection of our interests but to smear and lay blame on the opposing party… We see our already fragile economy being taken advantage of and the future of our children sacrificed in order to fuel reelection ambitions and maintain political and economic power. We recognize pledges and policy statements to be rhetoric meant to manipulate, distract and divide us. We are aware our needs and rights are not being represented. We believe these actions to be unconscionable and we will be heard.”