Top Items:
Robert Costa / National Review:
Holding Firm — The same question keeps popping up: why doesn't Speaker John Boehner just pass a “clean” continuing resolution to fund the government? It's a ubiquitous query at the Capitol, and it was asked many times this afternoon as House Republicans left their closed-door conference meeting.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, CNN, Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog, First Read, DownWithTyranny! and Washington Post
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Associated Press:
With Traditional GOP Allies Defecting, Big Business Takes Sides With Obama — WASHINGTON (AP) — Having failed to persuade their traditional Republican allies in Congress to avert a government shutdown, business leaders fear bigger problems ahead, and they're taking sides …
Discussion:
Associated Press and Taylor Marsh
Politico:
Collision course: CR and debt ceiling — A harsh reality began setting into Capitol Hill on Tuesday: The U.S. government may not reopen until the two parties reach a deal to raise the national debt ceiling. — Hours after federal agencies shuttered their doors for the first time in nearly two decades …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, The Plum Line, Daniel W. Drezner, Business Insider, WJLA-TV, The Hill, NPR, Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com, Reuters and Fox News
Telegraph:
US government shutdown: Barack Obama looks like a bitter, petty and partisan president — The American Left's hatred for all things conservative has been on full display in Washington in recent days, with the White House and its allies in Congress heaving with anger and indignation …
Discussion:
Washington Post, VodkaPundit and Post Politics
Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
Why Boehner doesn't just ditch the hard right — Robert Costa is the National Review's Washington editor and one of the best-sourced reporters among House Republicans. Like many others, I've relied on his reporting in recent days about how House Republicans are strategizing around the government shutdown.
Discussion:
The Week, Obsidian Wings, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos and Post Politics
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Dems: Prolonged shutdown will give us leverage on debt limit — Senate Democrats believe the longer the government remains shut down, the more leverage they will wield in the debt-limit debate later this month. — There is growing sentiment among Democrats that the short-term funding resolution …
Discussion:
PoliticusUSA and Taegan Goddard's …
New York Times:
Staunch Group of Republicans Outflanks House Leaders — WASHINGTON — They have had their fleeting moments on cable television. Their closed-door run-ins with Speaker John A. Boehner spill occasionally into the pages of Capitol Hill newspapers. But outside their districts …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Joan Walsh / Salon:
The real story of the shutdown: 50 years of GOP race-baiting — A House minority from white districts want to destroy the first black president, and the GOP majority abets them — On the day the Affordable Care Act takes effect, the U.S. government is shut down, and it may be permanently broken.
Discussion:
Pirate's Cove, National Review, Hit & Run and Liberty Street
Jesse Helfrich / The Hill:
Republicans following Cruz's playbook as crisis unfolds — House Republicans have more than taken a page out of Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) shutdown playbook. They're following it to a “T.” — GOP leaders on Tuesday introduced a series of bills to fund specific parts of the government …
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
Washington Post:
House Republicans are failing Americans in their effort to kill Obamacare — AMERICANS' RESPECT for their Congress has, sad to say, diminished in recent years. But citizens still expect a minimal level of competence and responsibility: Pay the bills and try not to embarrass us in front of the world.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Brad DeLong, theGrio, The Huffington Post, The Raw Story, Daily Kos and The Atlantic Wire
Susan Page / USA Today:
News analysis: Can this government be saved?
News analysis: Can this government be saved?
Discussion:
First Read, Washington Post and CNN
Paul Kane / Washington Post:
This time, it's different: Negotiations have no place in latest fiscal crisis
This time, it's different: Negotiations have no place in latest fiscal crisis
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's … and First Read
Meredith Shiner / Roll Call:
Boehner-Reid Relationship Unravels Over Health Care Benefits Fight
Boehner-Reid Relationship Unravels Over Health Care Benefits Fight
Discussion:
National Review, msnbc.com, Business Insider and The Raw Story
Fred Barnes / Wall Street Journal:
Where leadership is needed, Obama stays on the sidelines—except when he's attacking Republicans.
Where leadership is needed, Obama stays on the sidelines—except when he's attacking Republicans.
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
John Boehner / USA Today:
Obama owns this shutdown now
Obama owns this shutdown now
Discussion:
The Fix, Liberal Values, First Read, Associated Press, Washington Post, Political Capital, CNN, Speaker.gov, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Conservatives4Palin and Politico
Lucy McCalmont / Politico:
Rand Paul: ‘Goons’ blocked WWII Memorial — Sen. Rand Paul blasted the federal government for trying to block World War II vets from visiting their memorial, saying “some idiot in government sent goons out there to set up barricades.” — “If Harry Reid and the President want to keep the parks closed …
Discussion:
Hot Air and The Mississippi Press
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Charles C. Johnson / The Daily Caller:
Obama admin. knew about WWII veterans' request and rejected it
Obama admin. knew about WWII veterans' request and rejected it
Discussion:
NBCNews, Northwest Ohio, The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, Whiskey Fire, The Right Scoop, americanthinker.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Politico and WND
Evan McMorris-Santoro / BuzzFeed:
Veterans Plot To Expand Revolt Against Government Shutdown
Veterans Plot To Expand Revolt Against Government Shutdown
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Hot Air, The Strata-Sphere, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Power Line, Twitchy, Instapundit, The Lead with Jake Tapper and ABC News
Leo Shane III / Stars & Stripes:
WWII veterans storm DC memorial closed by government shutdown
WWII veterans storm DC memorial closed by government shutdown
Discussion:
National Review, Law Blog, Guardian, Outside the Beltway, Washington Post, WJLA-TV, msnbc.com, ThinkProgress and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »
Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Cruz apologizes for ‘Bataan Death March’ comment
Cruz apologizes for ‘Bataan Death March’ comment
Discussion:
Politico, Connecting.the.Dots and CNN
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House votes down GOP's piecemeal spending bills — The House on Tuesday night rejected three appropriations resolutions that would have funded the District of Columbia, veterans programs and national parks, after House Republicans set them up in a way that required Democratic support for passage.
Discussion:
Shakesville, Politico and voteview blog
RELATED:
Jennifer Epstein / Politico:
White House: Obama would veto ‘piecemeal’ funding bills
White House: Obama would veto ‘piecemeal’ funding bills
Discussion:
Heritage Action for America, Hot Air, Hit & Run, National Review and The Plum Line
Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
House G.O.P. Pushes Piecemeal Approach as Democrats Stand Firm
Kevin Bogardus / The Hill:
Business leaders dread debt-limit battle — The Treasury Department estimates the government will exhaust its borrowing capacity by Oct. 17, which is just three weeks away. — Lobbyists have been pushing Congress to raise the debt ceiling without drama or delay, but say the chances …
Discussion:
Politico
RELATED:
Josh Eidelson / Salon:
Grayson blames shutdown on GOP literally drinking on the job
Grayson blames shutdown on GOP literally drinking on the job
Discussion:
The Reaction, The Raw Story and Reuters
Jacob Heilbrunn / The National Interest:
Is It Time To Abolish Congress? — It's always been hard …
Is It Time To Abolish Congress? — It's always been hard …
Discussion:
Power Line, Washington Post, protein wisdom and Truthout Stories
Martin Wolf / Financial Times:
America flirts with self-destruction — The fallout of a US government default, particularly one that lasts, is beyond prediction — Is the US a functioning democracy? This week legislators decided to shut down a swath of the federal government rather than allow an enacted health law go into operation at the agreed moment.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
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Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Rick Perry: Implementing Obamacare “a Criminal Act” — HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, N.J. — In a campaign appearance Tuesday on behalf of New Jersey Republican Senate nominee Steve Lonegan, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the government's implementation of the national health care reform law constituted “a criminal act.”
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Roll Call, Taegan Goddard's … and Prairie Weather
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Brent Johnson / New Jersey Online:
Rick Perry calls Obamacare ‘a criminal act’ as he stumps for Lonegan in Bergen County
Rick Perry calls Obamacare ‘a criminal act’ as he stumps for Lonegan in Bergen County
Discussion:
The Raw Story
Dan Bilefsky / New York Times:
Jellyfish Invasion Paralyzes Swedish Reactor — In an episode that evokes B-grade sci-fi movie plots from the 1950s, but actually reflects a continuing global problem, nuclear engineers in southeastern Sweden have been wrestling with a giant swarm of jellyfish that forced the shutdown of the world's largest boiling-water reactor.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Ronald Brownstein / NationalJournal.com:
Americans Think GOP's Top Priority Is Troublemaking — The United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll finds few people see job creation as either party's priority. — The confrontations looming this month over funding the federal government and raising the public debt …
Discussion:
The Hill, Taegan Goddard's …, First Read and Yahoo! News
Dan Froomkin / Al Jazeera America:
Shutdown coverage fails Americans … U.S. news reports are largely blaming the government shutdown on the inability of both political parties to come to terms. It is supposedly the result of a “bitterly divided” Congress that “failed to reach agreement” (Washington Post) or …
Discussion:
The Week, Shakesville and Hullabaloo, more at Mediagazer »
Jessica Meyers / Politico:
FCC fines on Lifeline providers: $14.4 million — The Federal Communications Commission made one thing clear just before the government shut down. It won't stop attacking violators of the “Obama phone.” — Agency officials blasted out an announcement Monday night that proposed a fine …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon