Debt ceiling betrayal

Dear Erick, With President Obama determined to see our country's debt limit raised, will House Speaker John Boehner and other Washington insiders sell the Tea Party and our nation down the river? Only one thing will stop this from happening: You and I raising a cry of opposition that scares sense back into the Republican leadership. I'm doing all I can.  Will you join me? It's time we say "NO" to more government and begin the necessary unwinding of wasteful spending in ALL areas. If you agree, please sign the petition urging your representative and senators to REJECT the White House's compromise efforts and instead immediately join me in signing the "Cut, Cap, and Balance" pledge to bring critical changes to how government operates. It's vital Congress hears from you now. If they don't, I'm still afraid we're just days away from a full-blown BETRAYAL. That means NO Balanced Budget Amendment and NO real spending cuts. And maybe even tax hikes in exchange for weak "promises" of limited spending cuts sometime down the line! I wish this was all just a bad joke. But that's the "deal" President Obama is offering the Republican Leadership. Of course, the Washington political establishment knows such limited cuts won't save our economy – but they sure look good for the cameras and give politicians talking points for their reelections. So, without your IMMEDIATE action, I'm afraid American citizens will get sold out again. That's why I need you to help me draw a line in the sand. Such compromises as are being currently floated should never be seriously considered for even a second, but the Republican Party never seems to learn its lesson. It fell for the exact same type of "dealmaking" during Ronald Reagan's second term. In 1986, the Democrats promised 3 to 1 in spending cuts in exchange for tax increases. The tax increases came.  The spending cuts did not. Then again in 1990, Republicans made virtually the same deal, and again tax increases came – the spending cuts did not. Republicans must not take this bait and be fooled again. If they do, I can promise you President Obama will be ecstatic. Should he get his way, he knows he could have the Tea Party on life support. The fact is, Republicans were put back in power during the last election to STOP the runaway spending in Washington, D.C. – not cut "deals" and increase taxes and spending. Should they cave on their Tea Party mandate now, I believe the GOP will pay a severe price at the ballot box in 2012. I also think that President Obama believes the same. You see, he knows the American people are outraged and demanding true change. But he's also desperate to keep the government's out-of-control spending machine rolling along, so he's eager to create yet another meaningless deal that provides him with some campaign trail rhetoric about supposed "change." Now is the time to press our advantage and reform Washington. It's time to show some backbone. After all, if the Republican Leadership won't join me in FIGHTING the Big Spending, Big Government status quo in Washington, D.C. NOW, when will they ever? Our national debt is $14.3 TRILLION.  The "official" unemployment rate is over 9%! Our country's deficit is increasing at a rate of nearly $4 BILLION per day. When will the leadership of BOTH parties start showing that they are SERIOUS about addressing our nation's problems? The answer is when you and I MAKE them. To win this fight we must get hundreds of Members of Congress to keep the pressure up on Speaker Boehner and the Republican Leadership. Any "deal" to raise the debt limit that doesn't include "Cut, Cap and Balance" needs to be declared dead on arrival. Quite simply, I am running for President to fundamentally change the way government operates, not just tinker around the edges. I was the first Presidential candidate to sign on to the "Cut, Cap, and Balance" pledge. The "Cut, Cap, and Balance" pledge states that members of Congress will not vote to give even a dollar more to raise the debt ceiling without certain conditions being met. These conditions include one-year cuts in spending totaling at least $500 BILLION, a cap on federal spending, AND passage of the Mike Lee/Rand Paul Balanced Budget Amendment. You and I cannot allow our elected officials to continue to throw our country's future down the drain with backroom deals and reckless, unchecked spending. It's vital we FORCE Washington, D.C. to change course right NOW! But it's going to take a massive outpouring of grassroots opposition from folks like you to make that happen. Every Congressman and Senator needs to hear from millions of Americans that any business-as-usual compromise is unacceptable. So please help me defeat any phony "deals" and FORCE Washington, D.C.'s political establishment to change its ways. And if you can, please make a generous contribution to my campaign to Restore America Now so we can spread my message of fiscal sanity and responsibility to millions of more Americans. Time is running out, so please act NOW! For Liberty, Ron Paul P.S.  President Obama is convinced that if the Republican Leadership caves in on his demands for an increase in the debt ceiling and tax hikes to go along with only promises of limited spending cuts, he'll have the Tea Party on life support. That's why it's vital you sign the petition urging your representative and senators to reject phony compromises and join me in taking the "Cut, Cap, and Balance" pledge right away. And I hope you can follow this action with a contribution to help me run a top-notch campaign in key states to rein in an out-of-control government and Restore America Now. Paid for by Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee www.ronpaul2012.com