Influence Alley

Can a coffee cup break political gridlock in Washington? Probably not. But hey, why not at least try?

Starbucks employees in the D.C.-area have been instructed to write "Come Together" on drink orders this week in an effort to push lawmakers to reach a fiscal cliff deal, the Associated Press reports. The coffee company will also have a fullpage ad in tomorrow's Washington Post with a similar message.

Apparently, this is the first time employees have been told to write something other than just customers' names on cups. So when you get your drink order this week, don't bother submitting a photo of your cup to the Starbucks Spelling Tumblr.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is part of the well-funded Fix the Debt group, members of which have met with White House officials and House Republican leaders.