[kKFB1BxX]

In the hours after Obama's speech wherein he asked concerned Americans to let their congress folks know how they'd prefer negotiations to progress, many congressional websites crashed from the surge of traffic.

It's not yet clear whether we'll get any data on what messages people sent. My guess is that most politicians will only reveal data that supports their own positions.

CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_1...65-503544.html

With just eight days left before a possible economic catastrophe, President Obama on Monday took his argument for a "balanced" debt limit agreement to the American people, arguing in a prime time address that voters should call their members of Congress in support of a deal that "asks everyone to give a little without requiring anyone to sacrifice too much."

Speaking from the White House, the president lambasted Republicans for what he cast as a refusal to compromise, arguing that the nation faces a possible "deep economic crisis -- one caused almost entirely by Washington."

"Republican House members have essentially said that the only way they'll vote to prevent America's first-ever default is if the rest of us agree to their deep, spending cuts-only approach," Mr. Obama said. "If that happens, and we default, we would not have enough money to pay all of our bills - bills that include monthly Social Security checks, veterans' benefits, and the government contracts we've signed with thousands of businesses."

[JohnMaltczevitch]

For what it's worth, some of the political pundits and insiders are saying this deal isn't going to get done in the week we have left. Even if something is cobbled together, it's likely to be so weak that our credit rating will be downgraded anyway. David Gergen, in his blog yesterday wrote, "... the prospects point increasingly toward a default." His general observation, and I agree, is: This is no way to run a country.

http://gergensvoice./201...n-country.html

[Justlovemy]

This is no way to run a country.

Congress that insists on acting like a bunch of petulant toddlers and a president who no longer even tries to control them. I'm fleeing to Europe while we still have functioning airports here, you all should probably join me.

[tussinelde]

I would, but the idea of going through body scanners, pat downs and all the rest at airports totally skeeves me out. I'll just wait until the ice caps completely melt and drive across the land bridge.

[triarmarm]

I would, but the idea of going through body scanners, pat downs and all the rest at airports totally skeeves me out. I'll just wait until the ice caps completely melt and drive across the land bridge.

DES my dear, when the ice caps melt you will be under water. I hope you've invested in a boat, by now?


Oh man, I just had a totally random thought: given all the hoopla over the FAA lately, is it totally inconceivable that transatlantic transportation could be shut down entirely at some point in the future? For all their whining about gaaah!Communists the Republicans could turn this country into a privatized version of East Germany. Maybe I've been reading too much futuristic dystopian fiction lately....

[AncewwewBus]

Wow, we can embed Hulu clips? That's awesome.

[TopcigsCOM]

^LOLOL I feel special now. Richard, the little embed tool tells me we can embed all of these:

# Hulu
# YouTube
# Vimeo
# Dailymotion
# Metacafe
# Google
# facebook