I'm represented by three Republicans in Congress. Opportunities for me to provide input that might change their vote are rare. But the deal to preserve the Bush tax cuts might be just such an opportunity. President Obama has made his position clear; if we're going to stop this first step towards making the cuts permanent, we're going to have to do it in Congress.
The less Republican support there is for the deal, the easier it will be for progressive members of Congress to stop it. To that end, I just called my House representative and both my Senators and left a comment, using the following approximate script:
The deal President Obama announced last night tries to fund unemployment insurance with tax cuts. This is a bad way to handle our nation's finances because it adds to the deficit in both directions. I urge (representative) to vote against any so-called deal with President Obama.
Because I'm talking to Republicans, I tried to put the issue in a more Republican frame. It might still be a stretch, but I figured it's worth a try.
If, like me, you oppose making the Bush tax cuts permanent, and if you're represented in Washington by Republicans who rarely vote your way, I encourage you to call your representatives as well and help reduce support for the Bush tax cut deal.
If you don't already have your representatives' phone numbers programmed into your phone, you can find them at Project Vote Smart, among other places.