Frustrated. Furious. Fed up.

I don’t know about you, but I am disgusted about what is going on in Washington with the debt ceiling. Like most Americans, I have followed the debt ceiling circus daily for the last several weeks.  I am appalled to watch our country’s future be held hostage by conservative Tea Partiers who have no problem leading us to the brink of disaster. While I am relieved that it looks like our elected officials have arrived at some kind of compromise, my anger over how close we came to disaster remains.

So what does this debt ceiling deal mean? Pundits will argue for months over who won and who lost the debt ceiling debate. The only clear winners in the debt ceiling fight are millionaires, wealthy corporations and the politicians who represent their interests over ours.

Clearly, I am thankful that if the proposed deal goes through Congress, the United States will not default and tailspin into another recession. However, the larger problem laid bare by this entire process is that we desperately need revenue and we need corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share. But many of our elected officials in Washington are too craven and corrupt to do what is necessary and best for our nation.  Once again, Congress has capitulated to corporate interests and the wealthy by not adopting a balanced approach that includes revenue.

When the ink is dry on this debt ceiling deal, the budget will continue to be balanced on the backs of the poor and the middle class. Even though corporate profits are at an all time high and corporations are paying lower taxes then ever before, you and I will continue to take the hit.

It’s the same story, different day, right?  Well, it doesn’t have to be. We can use this debt ceiling mess as a turning point for taking our country back from the wealthy corporate interests. We know that it will not be easy, but nothing worth winning ever is.

Frederick Douglas once said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted…. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”

The corporate lobbyists who continue to run Washington think we will “quietly submit” to reckless politicians who are willing to destroy our economy to protect tax loopholes for the rich. But we won’t!

The debt ceiling deal calls for $1.5 trillion in cuts to be named in the future, so the fight is far from over. Please join us as we continue to fight against the corporate takeover of our country. Call Senator Mark Warner ( 202-224-2023) and Senator Jim Webb (202-224-4024) today.

• Let them know that balancing our budget on the backs of small businesses, middle class families and the most vulnerable, while asking nothing of CEOs and millionaires is a betrayal of us all.
• Please ask them to stand for us.

I hope you will continue to take action and join us in taking our country back.

Sandra Cook lives in Petersburg and is the Chairperson of Virginia Organizing.