Ted Cruz blasted by angry GOP colleagues  —  Ted Cruz faced a barrage of hostile questions Wednesday from angry GOP senators, who lashed the Texas tea party freshman for helping prompt a government shutdown crisis without a strategy to end it.  —  At a closed-door lunch meeting …

Poll: Americans not happy about shutdown; more blame GOP  —  PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO  —  On day three of the partial government shutdown, a new CBS News poll reveals that a large majority of Americans disapprove of the shutdown and more are blaming Republicans than President Obama and the Democrats for it.

Out of ideas, House GOP considers Hail Mary  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CONGRESS BARACK OBAMA OBAMACARE PAUL RYAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPUBLICAN PARTY HARRY REID JOHN BOEHNER DAVE CAMP GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN  —  As the partial government shutdown enters its third day, many House Republicans …

Live mic catches Senators McConnell and Paul talking strategy  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. - WPSD Local 6 got an inside glimpse Wednesday night to how much the government shutdown is about the messaging for congressional lawmakers.  —  After finishing an interview with CNN, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul ran …

Boehner Tells Republicans He Won't Let the Nation Default  —  WASHINGTON — With a budget deal still elusive and a deadline approaching on raising the debt ceiling, Speaker John A. Boehner has told colleagues that he is determined to prevent a federal default and is willing to pass a measure through …

Millions of Poor Are Left Uncovered by Health Law  —  A sweeping national effort to extend health coverage to millions of Americans will leave out two-thirds of the poor blacks and single mothers and more than half of the low-wage workers who do not have insurance, the very kinds of people …

George Will: For GOP in 2016, some medicine  —  “If Reince Priebus from Kenosha, Wisconsin, is the Republican ‘establishment,’ God help us,” says the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus.  His physical presence is almost as unprepossessing as James Madison's was, and his demeanor is self-deprecating.

The right's new lie about its shutdown intentions  —  If Ted Cruz is making John Boehner dance like a marionette, then Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., is the guy helping Cruz keep the strings untangled.  —  He's the author of the House's version of the famous letter insisting that Republicans …

California exchange overstated its Web traffic for Obamacare launch  —  Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, discusses the launch of the state's insurance exchange Tuesday in Los Angeles.  (Reed Saxon/AP / October 2, 2013)  —  California's health insurance exchange vastly overstated …

The White House says people have bought Obamacare.  We haven't met them quite yet.  —  If you have purchased health coverage on the federal government's new Obamacare marketplace, about a dozen or so reporters would like to speak with you.  We promise we won't take up too much of your time!

State DNR refuses federal directive to close some popular parks  —  By Patrick Marley and Lee Bergquist of the Journal Sentinel  —  The state Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday refused a directive from the National Park Service to close a host of popular state properties because of the federal government shutdown.