Cruz to House Conservatives: Oppose Boehner  —  On a Thursday conference call, a group of House conservatives consulted with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas about how to respond to the leadership's fiscal strategy.  Sources who were on the call say Cruz strongly advised them to oppose it, and hours later, Speaker John Boehner's plan fizzled.

Reid's parting shot to Boehner: Pass our bill, or it's a shutdown  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Friday that the Senate is done acting on legislation to avert a government shutdown and that House Republicans have no choice but to pass the Senate's bill if they want to keep the government open.

Your False-Equivalence Guide to the Days Ahead  —  A kind of politics we have not seen for more than 150 years  —  Two big examples of problematic self-government are upon us.  They are of course the possible partial shutdown of the federal government, following the long-running hamstringing …

OBAMA SPEAKS TO ROUHANI, SAYS IRAN DEAL POSSIBLE  —  You are here  —  Home » United States government » Obama speaks to Rouhani, says Iran deal possible  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by telephone Friday …

Exclusive: Romney disagrees with GOP ‘tactics’ on Obamacare in D.C.  —  (CNN) - [Updated 5:30 p.m. ET] Mitt Romney thinks Obamacare is a bad law that will hurt the country, but disagrees with how conservatives in Washington are trying to get rid of it.  —  In an exclusive interview …

Judge legalizes same-sex marriage in New Jersey  —  TRENTON — A state judge today ruled to legalize same-sex marriage in New Jersey, saying gay couples would be denied federal benefits if the state kept allowing only civil unions.  —  Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson granted an emergency request …

Shutdown is the best way to jolt Washington back to its senses  —  ANYONE PAYING attention to Washington this week has probably experienced a familiar sinking feeling: Congress is embroiled in another one of its periodic hostage-taking crises over a looming budget deadline that threatens …

'Eyes gouged out, bodies hanging from hooks, and fingers removed with pliers': Horrific claims of torture emerge as soldiers reveal gory Kenyan mall massacre details  —  Soldiers told of the horrific torture meted out by terrorists in the Nairobi mall massacre yesterday with claims hostages were dismembered …

Republicans have ‘a bomb strapped to their chest’ … Republicans claim this constitutes comparing them to terrorists.  I agree with Steve Benen here: “As a rule, regardless of where one falls on the political divide, officials should resist the urge to compare their rivals to terrorists.

Exclusive: McCain Hires Controversial Syria Analyst Elizabeth O'Bagy  —  Sen. John McCain has hired Elizabeth O'Bagy, the Syria analyst in Washington who was fired for padding her credentials, The Cable has learned.  She begins work Monday as a legislative assistant in McCain's office.

Seymour Hersh on Obama, NSA and the ‘pathetic’ American media  —  Pulitzer Prize winner explains how to fix journalism, saying press should 'fire 90% of editors and promote ones you can't control'  —  Seymour Hersh has got some extreme ideas on how to fix journalism - close down the news bureaus …

DoD issues detailed shutdown guidance  —  American troops would continue fighting in Afghanistan if the government shut down next week, the Defense Department said Friday — but if any were killed, the Pentagon could not pay out their death gratuities until the government reopened.

Editors' Note: September 27, 2013  —  The On Religion column on Saturday examined the crisis of faith of a minister, Teresa MacBain, who resigned her pulpit after concluding that she no longer believed in God.  After the article was published, questions were raised about her educational background.

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Student Cited By Ted Cruz As Proof Of Obama's Failure Is Actually Grateful For Obamacare  —  During his 21-hour talkfest on the Senate floor earlier this week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) went through a litany of examples that he said highlighted the abject failures of President Barack Obama's policies.