memeorandum: Unbelievable: Police prevent drivers from pulling over and viewing Mt. Rushmore (Thisistwitchy/Twitchy)

3:35 PM ET, October 6, 2013

Top Items:

Boehner: The Nation Will Be On ‘The Path’ To Default If Obama Doesn't Accept GOP Demands — House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said the nation would default on its debt later this month if President Obama does not agree to GOP's demands to cut spending and change parts of the Affordable Care Act.

Discussion: Liberaland, NationalJournal.com, PoliticusUSA and Washington Post

ABC News:

‘This Week’ Transcript: House Speaker John Boehner — A rush transcript of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” airing on Sunday morning, October 6, 2013 on ABC News is below. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. — STEPHANOPOULOS: Overnight, two daring raids.

Discussion: Speaker.gov, PoliticusUSA, The Fix, Post Politics, National Review and National Republican …

Argus Leader:

Mount Rushmore blockage stirs anger in South Dakota — Barring visitors from view an unexpected effect of shutdown — Cones are shown along the road to Mount Rushmore. The National Parks Service placed the cones there to prevent viewers from stopping on the side of the road to view the monument.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Althouse and Patterico's Pontifications

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi:

200 House Democrats Send Letter to Speaker Boehner to #DemandAVote on Bill to Reopen Government — Washington, D.C. - Today, 200 Members of the House Democratic Caucus, led by Congressmen Timothy H. Bishop and Patrick Murphy, sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner demanding a vote on behalf …

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

Boehner: U.S. Is On A Path To Default — Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) insisted Sunday on ABC's “This Week” that he won't bring up a “clean” debt limit increase under any circumstances, warning that the U.S. will default on its debt unless President Barack Obama agrees to make policy concessions.

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Carney: Boehner should prove there's not enough votes for ‘clean’ CR

Discussion: Politico

Jennifer Epstein / Politico:
Boehner: Not enough votes in House to pass ‘clean’ CR

Discussion: Reuters, CNN, Outside the Beltway and Post Politics

Vicki Needham / The Hill:

Cruz calls on lawmakers to tie debt ceiling to ObamaCare — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Sunday said changes to President Obama's signature healthcare law should be tied to a debt ceiling increase. — The Texas Republican said any deal on raising the nation's borrowing authority should include some …

Discussion: Ballot Box, Politico and Outside the Beltway

Carlo Muñoz / The Hill:

Cornyn: Obama ‘has been AWOL’ in shutdown, debt ceiling fight — President Obama “has been AWOL” as the White House and congressional Republicans continue to square off over the government shutdown and looming debt ceiling fight, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Sunday.

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Dana Davidsen / CNN:
Lew: ‘Congress is playing with fire’ on debt ceiling

Discussion: Politico

Kevin Bohn / CNN: GOP floats six-week funding and debt ceiling extension

Martin Crutsinger / ABC News: Lew Warns of Dangers If Borrowing Limit Not Raised

New York Times:

A Federal Budget Crisis Months in the Planning — WASHINGTON — Shortly after President Obama started his second term, a loose-knit coalition of conservative activists led by former Attorney General Edwin Meese III gathered in the capital to plot strategy. Their push to repeal …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Moderate Voice, Gawker, Prairie Weather, Calculated Risk, Taegan Goddard's … and Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

James Hohmann / Politico:

Cuccinelli shuns Cruz limelight — RICHMOND, Va.— That was awkward. — In the clearest sign yet of the potent effect of the government shutdown on the Virginia governor's race, Republican Ken Cuccinelli avoided being photographed with Ted Cruz at a gala they headlined here Saturday night …

Discussion: Liberaland, CNN, WJLA-TV, Gawker, The Reaction and Outside the Beltway

Barbara Starr / CNN:

U.S. forces strike in Libya, Somalia, capture al Qaeda operative — (CNN) — In two operations in Africa nearly 3,000 miles apart, U.S. military forces went after two high-value targets over the weekend. — One operation took place early Saturday in the Libyan capital of Tripoli …

New York Times:
U.S. Raids in Libya and Somalia Strike Terror Targets

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, CNN, Taylor Marsh, The PJ Tatler, americanthinker.com, The Long War Journal, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NPR and The Reaction

Washington Post:
U.S. strikes al-Shabab in Somalia and captures bombing suspect in Libya

Discussion: Associated Press, “The Lid”, Power Line and BBC

New York Times:
Libyan Government Demands Explanation After U.S. Raid

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, NPR and Outside the Beltway

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Where's sense of crisis in a 17% government shutdown? — BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CONGRESS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN — Everyone knows the phrase “government shutdown” doesn't mean the entire U.S. government is shut down. So in a partial government shutdown, like the one underway at the moment …

Discussion: Independent Journal Review

Colbert I. King / Washington Post:

The rise of the New Confederacy — It took on new force with fears of the federal government in Washington interfering with their cherished way of life. It gathered steam with the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. And it all came into full flower when shore batteries fired on Fort Sumter.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Maggie's Farm, Liberaland, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos and NewsBusters

John Avlon / The Daily Beast:

Shutdown Crisis: We Need a Hostage Negotiator — With Washington held hostage by the far-right, the shutdown crisis is stuck in stalemate. John Avlon talks to a former FBI hostage negotiator about how to break the deadlock. Yes, it's come to this. — With the government shutdown entering …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Booman Tribune and Taegan Goddard's …