memeorandum: Thousands of doctors fired by United HealthCare (Jocelyn Maminta/WCTX-TV)

7:25 PM ET, October 12, 2013

Top Items:

Democrats reject Susan Collins proposal — Democratic leaders in the Senate are rejecting an offer by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to end the budget impasse, arguing it asks for too much in return for too little, senators and aides tell POLITICO. — The development comes on the same …

Discussion: NBCNews, Reuters, National Review, Washington Monthly, msnbc.com, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Business Insider, The PJ Tatler, Outside the Beltway and Michelle Malkin

Politico:

House takes back seat after W.H. rejects plan — Speaker John Boehner told House Republicans Saturday morning that his efforts to strike a deal with President Barack Obama are at a standstill. — There is no agreement, Boehner said in a room in the Capitol Saturday, and there are no …

Discussion: CNN, The Natural Truth, PoliticusUSA, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers, neo-neocon, protein wisdom and Taegan Goddard's …

Jonathan Strong / National Review:

Paul Ryan Flashes Anger at Senate Republicans — House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan lashed out at Senate Republicans for interfering with the House GOP's talks with the White House to reopen the government and lift the debt ceiling, suggesting his colleagues on the other side of the Capitol were betraying Speaker John Boehner.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Weasel Zippers and The Raw Story

New York Times:

Senate Leaders Try to End Debt Crisis; Talks Fail in House — WASHINGTON — Senate leaders on Saturday began last-ditch negotiations on reopening the government and raising the debt ceiling as talks between House Republicans and the White House collapsed, dashing hopes for a quick resolution …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Caucus and Politico

Joe Picard / The Hill:

Boehner reports no progress as focus shifts to Senate plan (Video) — Hopes for a deal to end the government shutdown and avert a U.S. default turned to the Senate on Saturday as House Republicans said their talks with the White House were effectively over.

Discussion: Politico, Taegan Goddard's …, The Huffington Post, Outside the Beltway, Hullabaloo, PoliticusUSA, Little Green Footballs, Daily Kos and Liberaland

Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:

Reid, McConnell launch bipartisan talks on ending shutdown — Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have launched discussions over a proposal to raise the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown, after talks between House Republicans and President Obama reached an impasse.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Mike Flynn / BREITBART.COM:

HOUSE GOP BLINKS: WILL LIFT DEBT AND REOPEN GOVERNMENT — House Republicans have sent the White House a revised proposal to lift the debt ceiling for six weeks, as well as reopen government through December 15th, which was their original spending proposal before the partial shutdown.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The PJ Tatler, Pirate's Cove, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
New Senate GOP plan would raise debt-limit until January 2014

Discussion: NBCNews, Campaign for America's Future, Daily Kos and Wonkblog

The White House:
WEEKLY ADDRESS: Let's Get Back to the Work of the American People

Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots

Emma Dumain / Roll Call:
House GOP Talks With Obama Break Down as Both Look to Senate

Discussion: The World's Greatest …, PoliticusUSA, Washington Monthly and Booman Tribune

Paul Bond / Hollywood Reporter:

MSNBC President Wants ‘Investigation’ Into Fox News' ‘Impossible’ Ratings Gain — Megyn Kelly blew out Rachel Maddow in the key demo on Tuesday after losing to her the night before. “I have never seen it in all my years of cable,” says Phil Griffin. — Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, TVNewser, Independent Journal Review, Weasel Zippers, National Review and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

N.S.A. Director Gives Firm and Broad Defense of Surveillance Efforts — FORT MEADE, Md. — The director of the National Security Agency, Gen. Keith B. Alexander, said in an interview that to prevent terrorist attacks he saw no effective alternative to the N.S.A.'s bulk collection of telephone …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and emptywheel

Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:

Cruz wins Values Voter Summit straw poll — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won the Values Voter Summit straw poll on Saturday, cementing his title as the de facto leader of the conservative movement. — Cruz took 42 percent support, while physician Ben Carson and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum …

Discussion: CNN

Martin Longman / Washington Monthly:

My Thoughts Are With India — Facebook Twitter Digg Reddit StumbleUpon Delicious — Cyclone Phailin has made landfall on the Indian coast near Gopalpur with sustained winds of 125 mph. They've prepared as best as they can, but this storm has the potential to be even more devastating than Hurricane Katrina.

Discussion: BBC and Brad DeLong

Jackie Calmes / New York Times:

Stuck on Usual Quarrel: Raising New Revenue — WASHINGTON — Be skeptical. Be very, very skeptical. — That was the reaction from nearly all corners to the talk of convening yet another round of bipartisan negotiations to reduce the nation's long-term debt.

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Sam Youngman / Lexington Herald-Leader:

Amid shutdown thaw, McConnell says it's time for ‘come together’ moment — WASHINGTON — As the standoff over the federal government shutdown appears to be thawing, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that it is time for a “come together” moment.

Discussion: The World's Greatest …, The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo and The Agonist