Top Items:


Government shutdown: John Boehner's private fight for Hill health subsidies — With the federal government nearing shutdown, House Speaker John Boehner stood on the House floor Monday and called on his colleagues to vote for a bill banning a “so-called exemption” that lawmakers and staffers receive for their health insurance.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, Mediaite, National Review, Booman Tribune and Roll Call
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Democrats Divulge Emails With Boehner Staff as Shutdown Fight Gets Personal (Updated) — Reid's office is considering leaking emails between his chief of staff, David Krone, above, and Boehner's chief. (CQ Roll Call File Photo) — Updated 11:30 a.m. | Senate Democrats are considering leaking …
Discussion:
Esquire, The Plum Line, No More Mister Nice Blog, Roll Call, Talking Points Memo and Politico


‘House Of Turds’: NY Daily News Mocks Boehner As Shutdown Arrives (PHOTO) — A prominent New York City tabloid marked the first government shutdown since 1996 on Tuesday with a cover that parodies a hit political drama and mocks House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).
Discussion:
The Hinterland Gazette, Balloon Juice, Paul Krugman and Mediaite


Six Headlines About The Government Shutdown That Will Destroy Your Faith In Journalism — The government shut down because a small group of Republicans, led by Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX), insist on linking continued funding to repealing, defunding, or delaying Obamacare.


Why This Is Not Just ‘Washington Breakdown,’ in 3 Graphs (and 1 Story) — Tea Party members say they are expressing the public's will. Gee, if only there were some way to judge popular sentiment in a democracy. — From the Washington Post this morning:
Discussion:
The Dish, Taylor Marsh, Connecting.the.Dots, Shakesville, The Frying Pan and The Moderate Voice

Durbin: Medical device tax repeal could be ‘on the table’ — Washington (CNN) - A repeal of the medical device tax may be a point of compromise between the House and Senate as the two houses of Congress work to end the government shutdown, the number two Democrat in the Senate said Tuesday.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Politico, PoliticusUSA, ABC News, Daily Kos and Red Alert Politics


GOP braces for shutdown fallout — House and Senate Republicans are still spooked by the ghosts of shutdown past, with many fearing a brutal political fallout that could threaten their party in the run-up to the 2014 midterms. — Despite a firm belief that the public is on their side …
Discussion:
CNN, Outside the Beltway and The Hill


The House GOP's Legislative Strike — In January, demoralized House Republicans retreated to Williamsburg, Virginia, to plot out their legislative strategy for President Obama's second term. Conservatives were angry that their leaders had been unable to stop the expiration of the Bush tax cuts …

In Congress, a not-so-brief case of delusion over government shutdown — I almost shut down the government. — As I waited outside a meeting of the House Republican caucus in the Capitol basement Monday afternoon, I put down my briefcase next to a flowerpot and walked around the corner to catch lawmakers as they exited.
Discussion:
The Mahablog, Balloon Juice and The Raw Story

Those Banana Republicans
Discussion:
CANNONFIRE, Hullabaloo, Booman Tribune, Daily Kos, National Review, The Verge, The Daily Banter and The Hinterland Gazette

Sen. Durbin: “It's conceivable” …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller and National Review

Let Us Be Clear: Obama Deserves Chief Responsibility for Gov't Shutdown.
Discussion:
NPR, Outside the Beltway and Hit & Run

House GOP seeks conference with Senate Dems on shutdown
Discussion:
CNN, Politico, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, americanthinker.com, The Reaction and New York Times

Conservatives With a Cause: 'We're Right'
Discussion:
Politico, The Hairpin, WJLA-TV and Wall Street Journal

How 30 House Republicans are forcing the Obamacare fight
Discussion:
American Prospect, NationalJournal.com, The Atlantic Online, The Huffington Post, National Review, The Week, Slate, Wall Street Journal, Washington Wire, msnbc.com, Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, Red Alert Politics, ThinkProgress, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's … and The Hill


CNN Poll: Will Obamacare help you? — Less than one in five Americans say their families will be better off under the new health care law, according to a new poll. — But a CNN/ORC International survey released Tuesday morning also indicates a majority say the Affordable Care Act …
Discussion:
The Other McCain and Weasel Zippers
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Poll Indicates GOP Has Been Deeply Damaged By Shutdown Fight
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Firedoglake, Politico, Democracy in America and PoliticusUSA


Full steam ahead for Obama healthcare law
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …

Less than one in five say ObamaCare will help
Discussion:
The Right Scoop

Some State Exchanges Delayed Until Afternoon
Discussion:
Wonkblog, Hit & Run and Washington Free Beacon

President Obama: Expect months of ‘glitches’
Discussion:
Pirate's Cove


Surprise! Obamacare health insurance exchange websites don't work; HealthCare.gov a total mess — No need to shut it down. The Obamacare health insurance exchange websites don't work. … Who will be blamed for this mess? … [Update] — Welcome to HealthCare.gov!
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, New York Times, NewsBusters, National Review, The Lonely Conservative and Althouse
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The glitchy error-filled misadventures of creating an account on healthcare.gov — BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL BARACK OBAMA OBAMACARE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN — A friend and I spent the morning trying unsuccessfully to create an account on healthcare.gov and shop for cheaper health insurance.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and National Republican …

Technical problems plague launch of ObamaCare (Video) — ObamaCare's new health insurance marketplaces experienced a range of technical glitches Tuesday morning as they opened to enroll patients for the first time. — The federally facilitated online exchanges include functions for creating an account …
Discussion:
Slate, Firedoglake, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, The CT Mirror, Talking Points Memo, National Republican … and Reuters


Veterans break past World War II Memorial barricade — Washington (CNN) - Busloads of World War II veterans, many in wheelchairs, broke past a barricade Tuesday to cross into the World War II Memorial, as onlookers applauded and a man playing the bagpipes led the way.
Discussion:
ABC News
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Witness: Mississippi Congressman ‘Opened The Barricade’ To Closed WWII Memorial
Discussion:
The Raw Story


Rand Paul: Open the government — Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday said he would support a short-term funding measure “to keep the government open while we negotiate.” — “I think what we could do is pass a very short term, maybe not six weeks, but what about one week, so we could negotiate over a week …
Discussion:
Hot Air, National Review and The Right Scoop
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‘Boss’ Chris Christie: How I'd solve it — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the shutdown in Washington can be blamed on everybody, but it is especially a failure of leadership on the part of the president. — “No matter where the partisanship is, the failure is in people not bringing people together to get it done.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Hot Air and The Hill
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Christie says shutdown debate would look very different if he was in charge
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars and susiemadrak.com


Jon Stewart's Rockin' Shutdown Eve — If President Obama can make a deal with the most intransigent mullahs in the world but not with House Republicans, maybe he is not the problem. (07:20)
Discussion:
The Daily Banter, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Towleroad News #gay and Mediaite


GOP's most shameful shutdown moment — There are many candidates, but comparing Obamacare to the Fugitive Slave Act reveals much — and may take the prize — Republicans in the House of Representatives have shut down the United States government - and are threatening to throw the nation into default …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and Alan Colmes' Liberaland