Harry Reid makes budget offer to Mitch McConnell  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has privately offered Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a deal that would reopen the government until mid-to-late December while extending the U.S. debt ceiling until next year, according to several sources familiar with the talks.

The Dixiecrat Solution  —  So you have this neighbor who has been making your life hell.  First he tied you up with a spurious lawsuit; you're both suffering from huge legal bills.  Then he threatened bodily harm to your family.  Now, however, he says he's willing to compromise …

This Is the Single Most Ridiculous Thing That's Been Said During the Shutdown  —  On Sunday, Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz converged on Washington, D.C., to co-headline a protest against the federal government's closure of the World War II Memorial.  It is perhaps not surprising that one of the more cynical …

Manchin: Senate is 70%-80% close to a deal  —  (CNN) - The Senate is 70% to 80% close to a deal to raise the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, said Monday on CNN's “New Day.”  —  “I think we're 70%-80% there, putting the extra 20-25% to it,” he told CNN's Chris Cuomo.

Republicans Are Still Hoping Democrats Will Give In Due to the Default Threat  —  Mitch McConnell, leader of the Senate Republicans, approached Democrats with a new offer over the weekend: He and his colleagues would vote to open the government and increase its borrowing authority …

Colo. governor suggests gun-control groups stay away  —  WASHINGTON — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper suggests national gun-control groups stay away from a looming recall battle that could switch control of the state Senate to the GOP.  The groups poured money into an unsuccessful defense …

Obamacare enrollees become urban legend  —  Will the Floridians who have enrolled for Obamacare please stand up?  —  Nearly two weeks after the federal government launched the online Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, individuals who have successfully used the choked-up website …

GOP seizes advantage on Obamacare, White House struggles to defend: An alternative history of the past two months  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL WHITE HOUSE BARACK OBAMA OBAMACARE PRESIDENT HEALTH CARE DEBT CEILING ECONOMY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN  —  What if, instead of throwing its political energy …

Obamacare: The Rest of the Story  —  Unless you've been bamboozled by the frantic fictions of the right wing, you know that the Affordable Care Act, familiarly known as Obamacare, has begun to accomplish its first goal: enrolling millions of uninsured Americans, many of whom have been living …

Walmart shelves in Springhill, Mansfield, cleared in EBT glitch  —  Shelves in Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA were reportedly cleared Saturday night, when the stores allowed purchases on EBT cards even though they were not showing limits.  —  The chaos that followed ultimately …

GOPers eye Donald Trump for governor run  —  Increasingly desperate New York Republicans, seeking the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass, are trying to get Donald Trump to run against Gov. Cuomo next year, The Post has learned.  —  They're seeking to make the case that while Trump …

Fearing a lost governor's race, Virginia Republicans confront party divide  —  With just three weeks remaining before the election, Republican leaders in Virginia fear that their nominee, Ken Cuccinelli II, is on his way to losing the governor's race and that the party will squander command …

Obamacare: Don't trust anyone over 60?  —  Mandatory health coverage could be the catalyst for a new generational war.  —  Some opponents of the healthcare reform law hope the individual mandate will turn off younger voters to the Democratic Party.  Above, audience members watch last month …