Key players in the shutdown debate  —  Washington (CNN) — If the federal government shuts down starting Tuesday because of a bitter partisan battle over the new health care law, more people say congressional Republicans rather than President Barack Obama would be responsible, according to a new national survey.

House Republican Hostage-Takers Are Unfit to Govern  —  They're threatening an economic shutdown that will cause financial hardship and even ruin for millions of Americans.  So let's call these House Republicans what they are, says Jon Favreau.  —  The most terrifying speech I ever wrote for President Obama was one he never gave.

Two in Three Uninsured Americans Plan to Buy Insurance  —  Less than half say they will use the state or federal exchanges  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Nearly two in three uninsured Americans say they will get insurance by Jan. 1, 2014, rather than pay a fine as mandated by the Affordable Care Act …

Qaeda Plot Leak Has Undermined U.S. Intelligence  —  WASHINGTON — As the nation's spy agencies assess the fallout from disclosures about their surveillance programs, some government analysts and senior officials have made a startling finding: the impact of a leaked terrorist plot by Al Qaeda …

Rebels Without a Clue  —  This may be the way the world ends — not with a bang but with a temper tantrum.  —  O.K., a temporary government shutdown — which became almost inevitable after Sunday's House vote to provide government funding only on unacceptable conditions — wouldn't be the end of the world.

Top MIT scientist: Newest UN climate report is ‘hilariously’ flawed  —  Not all scientists are panicking about global warming — one of them finds the alarmism “hilarious.”  —  A top climate scientist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology lambasted a new report by the UN's climate bureaucracy …

The frauds on the Hill target Obama  —  Who are these people?  Of what are they made that they can say and do such things on the floor of Congress?  —  No nonsense is too great, no act too low.  —  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) leaves the floor of the House in the wee hours of Sunday morning …

Rep. Spencer Bachus not seeking another term in office  —  Rep. Spencer Bachus (R - 6th District) will not seek another term in Congress.  Bachus made the announcement Monday Morning during an interview with Janice Rogers on Good Day Alabama.  —  “Janice, I've grown up watching Channel 6 …

CNN Poll: Most in U.S. favor negotiations with Iran over nukes  —  Washington (CNN) — Three-quarters of Americans say they favor direct diplomatic negotiations with Iran in an attempt to prevent that country from developing nuclear weapons, according to a new national poll.

Govt to Sue North Carolina Over New Voter Law  —  The Justice Department will sue the state of North Carolina for alleged racial discrimination over tough new voting rules, the latest effort by the Obama administration to fight back against a Supreme Court decision that struck down the most powerful part …

Texas First Lady Calls Abortion 'A Woman's Right'  —  Texas first lady Anita Perry told an interviewer on Saturday that she thinks abortion is “a woman's right.”  —  Perry's husband, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), has helped push through a slew of laws restricting and eroding access to abortion in the state.