Tea Party Support Dwindles to Near-Record Low  —  Republicans ambivalent about movement, while most Democrats oppose it  —  PRINCETON, NJ — As Washington braces for another budget showdown, this time with the threat of defunding the new healthcare law in the mix, the key political force pushing …

The Most Ridiculous Moments In Ted Cruz's Phony Filibuster (VIDEO)  —  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) put forth a challenge Wednesday to members of the media covering his 21-hour non-filibuster to protest funding for Obamacare.  —  “So I'm gonna make a request directly to those reporters who are covering …

You Really Ought to Be More Terrified of the Debt Ceiling  —  The truly scary thing about blowing through the debt limit isn't what we think will happen.  It's that we actually have no idea what will happen.  —  Sen. Ted Cruz's 21-hour soliloquy was rightly criticized (or, characterized) …

Iran's Leader, Denouncing Holocaust, Stirs Dispute  —  WASHINGTON — As he conducts a high-profile good-will visit to New York this week, Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, says he is bringing a simple message of peace and friendship.  But on Wednesday, Mr. Rouhani set off a political storm …

Jim DeMint, Congressional Republicans' Shadow Speaker  —  When Congress adjourned for its August recess this year, most members avoided the town hall meetings that were once the standard venue for hearing from constituents.  They were too afraid.  Ever since activists opposed …

The Democratic 2014 turnout machine, courtesy of Pat Hickey  —  This is not the last you wiil hear of this: Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey, sitting down with a friendly interviewer (Dan Mason) on conservative talk radio, got careless and talked about how great for the GOP that young people …

A final pitch for Obamacare  —  It's showtime for Obamacare's explainer-in-chief.  —  Armed with facts and figures, President Barack Obama will take the stage at Prince George's (Md.) Community College on Thursday — five days before the uninsured can start signing up for benefits — and test his powers of persuasion.

Let ObamaCare Collapse  —  Congress can't kill the entitlement state.  Only the American people can.  —  What the GOP's Defund-ObamaCare Caucus is failing to see is that ObamaCare is no longer just ObamaCare.  It is about something that is beyond the reach of a congressional vote.

NSFW: Cory Booker's Interesting DMs With A Portland Stripper  —  “The East Coast loves you and by the East Coast I mean me.”  Not safe for work, unless you work at Newark City Hall.  —  Twitter: @LynsieLee  —  Twitter: @LynsieLee  —  View Entire List ›

Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis driven by delusions  —  The government contractor who killed 12 people at the Navy Yard last week was driven by delusions that he was being controlled by low frequency radio waves, and he scratched the words “End the torment!” on the barrel of the shotgun used in the killings …

How Obamacare may be holding down costs  —  The historic slowdown in health-care costs is continuing.  Earlier this month, the government's actuaries found that total national health spending continues to grow at the lowest rate we've ever seen.  And our annual employer health benefits survey released …

White House explains HHS report's rationale: You can't compare wormy apples to fresh and delicious ones, obviously  —  A short yet painful addendum to my earlier post on the Department of Health and Human Service's new report excitedly detailing the “lower than expected” …

David Gilmour on Building Strong Stomachs  —  Shelf Esteem is a weekly measure of the books on the shelves of writers, editors, and other word lovers, as told to Emily M. Keeler.  This week's shelf belongs to David Gilmour, whose most recent novel, Extraordinary, appears on the Giller longlist.

Ken Cuccinelli and Terry McAuliffe go small in debate  —  A clash of the titans, this was not.  —  Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli could not be more different in their ideological views and political personalities, as they battle for the governorship of Virginia …