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Obama uses Twitter to press Republicans on the debt ceiling

The US president’s Twitter account is being used to ask followers to urge Republicans to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling.

US PRESIDENT BARACK Obama has taken to Twitter to urge his followers to send tweets to Republicans in a bid to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling.

Well, it might not be him personally who’s sending the tweets (he signs them off with his initials), but they are coming from his account. He’s informing the residents of each state, in alphabetical order, which Republican representatives are on Twitter. So far it’s up to Indiana:

Twitter users are being asked to let their representatives know that they support a bi-partisan solution to the deficit crisis.

Obama has urged Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to work together on a solution to raising the USA’s debt ceiling, reports CNN.

The two main parties are at loggerheads about how to tackle growing budget deficits before next Tuesday, by which time a debt default could be on the cards. You can read all about it in TheJournal.ie‘s bluffer’s guide.

Reuters reports that some Democrats wanted Obama to invoke the 14th Amendment of the American Constitution, stating that it gives him the power to simply raise the debt limit himself. A White House spokesperson has said:

The administration does not believe that the 14th amendment gives the president the power to ignore the debt ceiling.

More: A bluffer’s guide to… the US debt ceiling>

Read: Irish people quiz Obama on immigration and hurling as he hosts a Twitter askathon>

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6 Comments
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    Mute BW
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    Aug 26th 2011, 12:47 PM

    This is not a shock… (actually this shouldn’t be a shock) sure aren’t the government & RSA now downgrading it to a fining offence…..

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    Mute Lydia Morgan
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    Aug 26th 2011, 5:51 PM

    I was under the impression that it is not being downgraded to a fine. If your over 80mg you still have to go to court and charged criminally. Currently if your under 80mg you walk whereas the new law wont let those bearly under off the hook so likely i.e the fine and penalty points. As far as I am aware the fine only applies to first time offence as well, if your caught over 50 a 2nd time you go to court. So in effect the laws are being made stricter ? Correct me if I have this wrong.

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    Mute John Mack
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    Aug 26th 2011, 1:18 PM

    is being over the limit classified as being drunk. or is it only a name or level of intoxication when your driving, being labelled drunk carries a negative aspect to having a social drink. I’m all for reduced alcohol blood limits when it comes to driving. just wondering on the naming terms

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    Mute Paddy Comyn
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    Aug 26th 2011, 4:43 PM

    The problem with this is of course, that it is impossible to ‘know’ if a person is over the limit. The figure could be a lot more. Very few people are actually aware of the quantity of alcohol that would set them over the legal limit. It is more often less that they expect.

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    Mute Sean Mc Avinue
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    Jan 30th 2012, 12:49 PM

    No wonder drink related accidents are so high. If in an accident the driver has zero alcohol only the passenger in the back seat is over the limit that accident is classed as being “drink related” if a pedestrian over limit is tipped by a car through his or her own fault it is drink related.

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