How Democrats Got a Spine  —  The Republican Party taught them how to be uncompromising.  —  It's easy to forget, but this year began with a nick-of-time congressional compromise.  At the 11th hour, with Washington's supply of clichés nearly depleted, the House and Senate approved a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.

NBC: Police Remove Vietnam War Veterans at Memorial Wall  —  Via William Jacobson, NBC's affiliate in Washington, D.C. reports that police ordered tourists and Vietnam war veterans who were visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to leave the memorial at one point on Friday.

In an Upside-Down Week, Some Conservatives Find Favor for Government  —  WASHINGTON — Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a hard-core leader of House conservatives who helped force a government shutdown in a fight over the scope of federal health care spending, sent out a statement …

Police: Man on fire at National Mall dies  —  A man who set himself ablaze on the National Mall Friday has died of his injuries, according to authorities.  —  The individual passed away shortly before 9pm on Friday at a local hospital, a D.C. police spokesman told The Hill on Saturday.

Federal Judge Smacks House Republican For Demanding Exemption From Republican Shutdown  —  Countless lawsuits where the United States is a party are now in limbo, thanks to the fact that the Justice Department lacks the resources to litigate them so long as the government is shut down.

OBAMA TO PUBLIC: DON'T GIVE UP ON HEALTH SIGN-UPS  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Defending the shaky rollout of his health care law, President Barack Obama said frustrated Americans “definitely shouldn't give up” on the problem-plagued program now at the heart of his dispute with Republicans over reopening the federal government.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE  —  Statement by Secretary Hagel on the Pay Our Military Act  —  Today I am announcing that most DoD civilians placed on emergency furlough during the government shutdown will be asked to return to work beginning next week.  —  Immediately after President Obama signed …

Analysis: IT experts question architecture of Obamacare website  —  (Reuters) - Days after the launch of the federal government's Obamacare website, millions of Americans looking for information on new health insurance plans were still locked out of the system even though its designers scrambled to add capacity.

Arizona Is Only State To Stop Welfare Checks During Shutdown  —  Arizona appears to be the only state to have stopped cutting welfare checks during the federal government shutodown, the Arizona Republic reported Friday.  —  Republican Gov. Jan Brewer's administration announced this week …

Wolf Blitzer: Obamacare website shutdown ‘embarrassment for administration’  —  The Obama administration quietly announced late Friday that the enrollment functions of the healthcare.gov site will be down for repairs this weekend.  —  The web site set up to allow people to enroll online …

Rick Perry: California's bad on every front.  Vote for me?  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks to reporters at a news conference at the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim on Friday.  (Reed Saxon / Associated Press / October 4, 2013)  —  Just for the record …