Politics | President Obama Obama: Solution to Avoid Default Must Be Bipartisan In latest speech, president promises to work all weekend long By Evann Gastaldo Posted Jul 29, 2011 9:50 AM CDT Copied President Barack Obama addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, July 25, 2011, on the approaching debt limit deadline. (AP Photo/Jim Watson, Pool) In his latest debt limit speech, President Obama today urged Democrats and Republicans to come up with "a plan that I can sign by Tuesday"—a plan that has support in both parties. "There are plenty of ways out of this mess," he said, but any solution must be bipartisan. He reminded his audience that the debt ceiling does not raise spending, but simply allows the US to pay the bills Congress has already authorized. Obama also warned that monthly Social Security checks, veterans' benefits, and the country's AAA credit rating are all in danger. If the US loses that rating, he said, it will not be because the country couldn't pay its bills "but because we didn't have a AAA political system to match our AAA credit rating." He ended with a promise to continue working all weekend long with both parties, and another exhortation to the public to call, email, or even tweet their members of Congress if they "want to see a bipartisan compromise." Read These Next Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. Actor Sam Rockwell gets residuals from movie he wasn't in. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. Raw-meat-eating 'Liver King' arrested for Joe Rogan threats. Report an error