President Obama, who turns 50 on August 4th, has said that he will skip a big ticket birthday party fundraiser if the debt ceiling deal doesn't go through.  That's the only reasonable, smart move.

What is not a smart move are the nearly daily emails I am getting from various Democratic Party institutions asking for donations of just $5.00, or today from DCCC Chairman Steve Israel groveling for $3.00 if people are outraged by Republican intransigence on the debt ceiling talks.

Sorry -- this is just too important an issue to exploit for party fundraising.  It cheapens the seriousness of this standoff.

Here is Steve Israel's fundraising appeal:

Steven -- President Obama is right: We cannot allow Republicans' political game-playing to jeopardize the full faith and credit of America's economy. Time is nearly up. We must send an immediate, forceful message to Speaker Boehner and Tea Party Republicans -- we stand with President Obama and against Republicans' childish games. Steven, can we count on your support? Contribute $3 or more right now to show your support for President Obama and to hold Speaker Boehner and the Republicans accountable >> Today, Speaker Boehner was caught groveling to Rush Limbaugh in private, asking for permission to try his latest political scheme before even telling his own Republican caucus about it. The fact is, right-wing special interests, radio hosts, and Tea Party extremists have taken over the Republican Party. And these radical Republicans are just days away from plunging our economy off a cliff in order to slash Social Security and Medicare while protecting tax breaks for billionaires and big oil. Now, with our entire economy at stake, it's critical that we stand strong and united against Republicans' all-out assault on the middle class. Contribute $3 or more today to show your support for President Obama and to hold Speaker Boehner and the Republicans accountable for pushing our economy to the brink in order to score points with the Tea Party >> Thanks for your immediate support. Rep. Steve Israel DCCC Chairman P.S. Your dollars are being put to work immediately. Our "We Don't Quit" campaign is launching in 60 Republican districts but we need your support to keep up the pressure. Contribute today. Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are not tax deductible. Paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee | 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 (202) 863-1500 | www.dccc.org | Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This message was sent to: steve@thewashingtonnote.com | To unsubscribe, click here: http://dccc.org/optout. Change or update your email address and contact information by clicking here.