I called Mike Doyle's Office and told him to vote no on the debt deal. MoveOn agrees.

I called up Mike Doyle's office and told him to vote no on the debt deal. Why? What Krugman said.

MoveOn has also entered the fray:

Dear MoveOn member,

Congress is taking what could be the final vote in the Republican-caused debt ceiling crisis TODAY, and Rep. Doyle needs to hear from you.

 

Republicans took our economy hostage, and as a ransom, the president agreed to a deal that makes deep cuts in government spending while doing nothing to make the rich and corporations pay their fair share. And while Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are protected in the initial phase of the deal, they'll be front and center for the special deficit reduction committee set up by this deal.

But until Congress votes, the deal isn't done. So we need to let Democrats in Congress know that progressives do not support this deal. 

Can you call Rep. Doyle right now and tell him you want him to vote against this deal and push for a "clean" debt ceiling increase, rather than giving in to Republican hostage-taking?

Representative Mike Doyle
Phone: 202-225-2135

Then, click here to report your call.

According to a survey of MoveOn members this morning, the vast majority of them oppose this deal. Here's why:

• "The deficit has nothing to do with the debt ceiling. Our nation's debt is lower now, relative to the economy, than it was after WWII. The deficit comes from the lack of tax revenue, which comes from the lack of jobs and the lack of taxes on the wealthy. Spend to create jobs; tax the wealthy. End the wars."—Miriam S.
   
• "While I believe a default would be disastrous, it's absurd to see the Republicans get so much of what they want without making any legitimate concessions to the Democrats. The Tea Party cannot run this country and the only way to ensure that this doesn't happen is for Democrats to not let them. We need to stand up to Republicans and say enough is enough."  —Conny M.

To read more about the deal, check out the links below:

• Here's a detailed rundown from The Huffington Post on what exactly is in the deal. 
   
• New York Times columnist Paul Krugman calls the deal a "catastrophe on multiple levels."
       
• Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich argues "the radical right has now won a huge tactical and strategic victory." 
   
• And for a different perspective, here's why the White House thinks it's "A Win for the Economy and Budget Discipline." 
  

This deal is dramatically out of step with America. The great majority of Americans want jobs, not cuts—and want corporations and millionaires to pay their fair share, so we can afford to jump-start our economy and rebuild the American Dream. 

Whatever happens today, one thing is clear: this debt ceiling fight is the beginning of a much larger struggle to force Washington to listen to all of us, not just huge corporate donors and the tea party fringe. 

Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Elena, Tate, Eli, and the rest of the team