The twitterverse has a rumor circulating that repelicans may choose to default on the national debt. We hit the debt ceiling sometime around the 17 of October. They could be bluffing of course. But the NYT is reporting:

• Obama Sets Conditions for Talks: Pass Funding and Raise Debt Ceiling

It is a long time between now and the time the debt ceiling kicks in for Congress to fail in passing either a budget or in agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. They could do both - right now - and before this era of partisanship they would have.

The Washington Post lists 9 of the most painful consequences of this government shutdown. If this lasts up to the date of the debt ceiling, October 17, it is virtually certain this list of the worst effects will get much longer.

There is no excuse for the Federal Government to suddenly renege on their obligations to the public - and threaten food safety, public health, transporation safety, or to jeopardize the nutritional and health care needs of children all across America. That's just wrong.

I say that if Americans are forced to suffer beneath the heel of repelican intransigence with mendacious arguments and subterfuge blaring from the national stage all day long for weeks on end, then we must bear it.

We Will Bear It. Let Us Send Them A Message, One They Will Not Soon Forget:

National Strike

Wednesday, October 16

Thrusday, October 17

Friday, October 18

Let nothing move, let nothing be bought, let nothing be sold. Let us instead hug our families close, under the assurance that if we cannot train our leadership to respect the American Public a great deal more than this, then our nation is done for.

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@johnboehner YOU WANT DEFAULT ON DEBT? NATIONAL STRIKE! Wed Oct 16 Thu Oct 17 Fri Oct 18 #ENOUGHTEA #ShutdownTheGOP http://is.gd/7ryWwX

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• NYT: Treasury Says Mere Prospect of Default May Harm Economy

• CBS News: Don't toy with the debt ceiling, bank CEOs warn