A message from the President

From the inbox:

Omeed with a mutual friend

When the government shutdown ended 16 days ago, I made one thing clear to Republicans. If they want different leadership from the White House, they should go win an election.

I want to tell you what I meant by that.

A few extreme Republicans in Congress -- one faction of one party in one branch of government -- shouldn't hijack our economy in an attempt to force through a failed, partisan agenda. That's not how our system works -- and that's not a precedent we can abide.

If members of Congress and their constituents don't like a policy, they can argue for their side. They can debate other candidates, lay out their plan, and let the voters decide. That's how our elections -- and our democracy -- are supposed to work.

And if we want to make sure that Congress is focused on things that matter, we need more lawmakers who share that fundamental belief -- and we're going to need your support to make that happen.

Even though I won't be on a ballot again, I'm asking you to stand with me and support fellow Democrats who will. Help fix the broken system in Washington by electing a Congress that will keep our economy moving forward, not shut it down.