memeorandum: Amid shutdown thaw, McConnell says it's time for ‘come together’ moment (Bluegrass Politics)

1:35 PM ET, October 12, 2013

Top Items:

Focus on Senate after Obama rejects House 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 …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers and PoliticusUSA

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 and Taegan Goddard's …

Politico:

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: National Review, msnbc.com, Weasel Zippers and Business Insider

Emma Dumain / Roll Call:

House GOP Talks With Obama Break Down as Both Look to Senate — Updated 11:09 a.m. | House Republican talks with President Barack Obama have broken down, with GOP leaders telling their conference Saturday that the White House rejected their offer for a short-term debt limit increase tied to negotiations over reopening the government.

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

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Ted Cruz confronts President Obama at White House — Sen. Ted Cruz confronted President Barack Obama over his health care law during a meeting at the White House Friday attended by dozens of GOP senators. — Cruz told Obama that any deal to reopen the government must also provide relief for those negatively affected by Obamacare.

Discussion: CNN, Washington Monthly, Gawker, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, Connecting.the.Dots, PoliticusUSA, The Gateway Pundit and Talking Points Memo

Joe Picard / The Hill:

Boehner reports no progress as focus shifts to Senate plan — Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told House Republicans on Saturday morning that there has been little progress in negotiations with the White House to avert a U.S. default and end the government shutdown.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Liberaland and Daily Kos

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

New Senate GOP plan would raise debt-limit until January 2014 — A trio of centrist Senate Republicans is pushing a plan to reopen the government for six months, extend the debt ceiling until Jan. 31, 2014 and make reforms to ObamaCare. — Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) …

Discussion: NBCNews and Daily Kos

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
Obama tells Senate GOP he's willing to talk ObamaCare changes

Discussion: Washington Wire

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Cruzification of the GOP — When a poll came out this week showing that the government shutdown was putting Republican Mike Coffman in danger of losing his Colorado congressional seat, the lawmaker responded with the serenity of martyrs through the ages. — “Whatever the consequences …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Salon and Los Angeles Times

Josh Barro / Business Insider:

Ted Cruz Is Living On Another Planet — This morning, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) spoke to the Values Voters Summit, and his speech was really weird. It's like he's living on another planet. — On Planet Cruz, there is a massive outpouring of public support for a government shutdown …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and National Review

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Rep. Pete King: Obama Should Donate To Ted Cruz

Discussion: Pirate's Cove

Thomas Beaumont / Associated Press:
ESTABLISHMENT GOPERS ASSAIL TEA PARTY ON SHUTDOWN

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, The Gateway Pundit and BuzzFeed

Jonathan Bernstein / A plain blog about politics: Ted Cruz? Winnowed, Probably

Brendan Sasso / The Hill:

Obama rules out short-term debt hike — President Obama signaled Saturday that he wouldn't accept the Republicans' offer for a short-term increase in the nation's debt limit. — “It wouldn't be wise, as some suggest, to just kick the debt ceiling can down the road for a couple months …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, The Impolitic and Jammie Wearing Fools

Bluegrass Politics:

Amid shutdown thaw, McConnell says it's time for ‘come together’ moment — WASHINGTON — As the stand-off 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 Moderate Voice, The World's Greatest …, Taegan Goddard's …, Talking Points Memo and The Agonist

Hanna Rosin / CNN: Men dither while women lead in the world

Hunter Walker / Talking Points Memo:

'She's Got Really Hot Breasts, Man!' Lonegan Aide Bashes Booker With X-Rated Rant — A top aide to Republican New Jersey Senate hopeful Steve Lonegan went into decidedly not-safe-for-work territory when TPM asked why he thinks his candidate has been gaining on Democratic opponent Cory Booker in recent polls.

Discussion: Metropolis, Politico, MoreMonmouthMusings, Mediaite, RH Reality Check, The Raw Story, Gothamist, Gawker and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

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: Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, TVNewser, Weasel Zippers, Independent Journal Review, National Review and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Lee Enterprises / Helena Independent Record:

Bullock: Montana won't pay to open national parks — Gov. Steve Bullock on Thursday said he has no interest in allowing national parks in Montana to be reopened if the state has to pick up the costs until the federal shutdown ends. — “Of course not,” said Bullock, a Democrat.

Discussion: E2-Wire and GovBeat