President Obama: "This Debate is Too Important for Washington to Get it Wrong"

President Obama just sent the message below to the White House email list, asking people to speak out about extending tax cuts for the middle class. If you didn't get the email, be sure to sign up.

Hello --

Today, I met a woman named Lyn Lyon. She's a senior citizen from Virginia, and we invited her to the White House because she wrote in to explain why it is so important for all of us to make sure that taxes don't go up on the middle class.

"Let's show the rest of the world we are adults," she said. "Living in a democracy, we can solve our problems by working together."

All of us here in Washington have a little more than a month to find the kind of solution that Lyn describes. If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year. A typical middle-class family of four would see its taxes rise by $2,200. That means less money to buy groceries or fill a prescription. It means a tougher choice between paying the rent and paying tuition.

So right now, I'm asking you to join Lyn and thousands of other Americans who are speaking out. Add your voice to this debate, and I'll ask Congress to listen to the people who sent us here to serve.

Tell us why you think it's important to keep taxes from going up on the middle class.

A year ago, during our last fight to protect middle-class families, tens of thousands of working Americans took action. They wrote in to us, and we put their stories on the front page of the White House website. They called, tweeted, and brought in their friends on Facebook -- and sure enough, it worked. Congress listened.

The same thing happened earlier this year, when college students across the country stood up and demanded that Congress keep rates low on student loans. Lawmakers got that message loud and clear.

When enough people get involved, we have a pretty good track record. And that’s important, because this is our biggest challenge yet -- and it's one we can only meet together. I'm going to do my part -- not just by sitting down with CEOs, labor leaders, and leaders in Congress -- but by taking this to the American people.

I'll go anywhere and do anything it takes until we get this done. But I can't do it alone.

So I'm asking you to join me -- and folks like Lyn. Add your voice to ours, and share your story. Because this debate is too important for Washington to get it wrong.

Will you tell us what $2,000 means to you?

http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/my2k

Thanks,

President Obama