THE ISSUE: President Obama’s call for Washington to eat its peas and settle debt negotiations.

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Instead of exhorting Republicans to eat their peas, President Obama and his fellow Democrats should take a swig of castor oil and stop spending taxpayer money like a bunch of drunken sailors (“Bam: Give Peas a Chance,” Editorial, July 12).

The Democrats’ ruinous formula of taxing, spending and mortgaging away America’s future is over.

The time has long passed for Obama and the Democrats to stop acting like spoiled children and to start putting the long-term interests of the American people ahead of their own petty politics.

Gerald Jacobs

Staten Island

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Maybe it’s Obama who needs to eat peas.

This president uses scare tactics and has his thugs put fear into the public with their threats of default.

Obama swore to uphold the Constitution, yet all he’s done is wipe his feet on it. That alone is cause for impeachment.

How does this community organizer continue to get a free pass with the media?

Joe DePascale

Brooklyn

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Obama says we must pass his plan to keep the nation out of default.

Wasn’t it all of his previous plans that drove us there?

Taxing achievement destroys the will to achieve.

No wonder this nation is in decline.

Dave Becher

East Northport

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Do you think the people who voted for “hope and change” are happy to learn that this means they have to pull off a Band-Aid and eat their peas and that our economy isn’t going to turn around any time soon?

Hardly the inspiring stuff of the shining city on the hill.

Sal Marinello

Millburn, NJ

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Not since Marie Antoinette told them to “eat cake” and the emperor strutted his “new clothes” has a leader been so out of touch.

I guess when you are golfing twice a week and traveling to exotic destinations, it is hard to be in sync with your people.

There are many Americans who gave up green vegetables years ago to cut down on costs. Most would gladly eat peas by the podfull if it would fix the mess in which the average American finds himself.

People are out of work, out of food, out of money and, sadly, out on the streets.

Please don’t entertain us with your witty rhetoric, Mr. President. Send us the help we need to fix this mess.

Deborah Fleming

Sea Girt, NJ

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Obama has told us that it’s time to “eat our peas” and “rip the Band-Aid off.” And the wonderful politicians in Washington are calling for shared sacrifice.

But what are those in Washington actually sacrificing? They have their inflated health benefits and salaries.

We are told to eat peas, while those in power eat steak, ribs or whatever they want.

If Washington is calling for “shared sacrifices” in this downtrodden economy, which is the fault of this spendthrift administration, then Washington must be made to include itself in bearing the national burden.

Steven Atkinson

Spring Hill, Fla.

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Peas may be the only thing 70 million people will be able to afford if the debt-ceiling issue isn’t resolved soon.

Until now, much of the debate has been difficult to understand and tedious to follow.

Now that Obama has openly warned that Social Security and other government checks may not go out on Aug. 3, my guess is that what some in Washington have been calling a game of political chicken will end quickly.

No politician, from local dog-catcher to presidential candidate, can afford to be on the wrong side of this mailbox.

From now until Aug. 2, it’s “game on” for the White House and Congress.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach, Calif.