Senate leaders nearing a deal  —  Senate leaders are closing in on a deal to reopen the government and extend the U.S. debt ceiling until next year, marking a major breakthrough in an impasse that has paralyzed Washington for the last two weeks, according to several sources familiar with the talks.

Five thoughts on the Obamacare disaster  —  1. So far, the Affordable Care Act's launch has been a failure.  Not “troubled.”  Not “glitchy.”  A failure.  But “so far” only encompasses 14 days.  The hard question is whether the launch will still be floundering on day 30, and on day 45.

Poll: Republicans losing no-win game  —  All of Washington's elected leaders earn negative marks for handling budget negotiations, but the public's ire toward Republicans in Congress has hardened quicker than disapproval of President Obama and Democrats through a fortnight of failed negotiations.

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 …

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 Video Of Republicans Tightening Control Of House Is As Unusual As It Seems  —  The video of an exchange between Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen and GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz over Republican rule changes spread like wildfire this weekend.  GOP leaders are hanging on by their fingernails.

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 …

HISTORIANS PUT AN ASTERISK ON US DEBT CLAIM  —  You are here  —  Home » United States Congress » Historians put an asterisk on US debt claim  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — You hear a perfect record cited over and over in the debt limit debate: The United States has never defaulted.

Obama Makes Sandwich  —  A break from the shutdown to help out the needy.  —  President Obama visited Martha's Table in Washington D.C. Monday.  The food bank helps low-income families.  Obama met with furloughed federal workers who were helping out, according to the White House pool report.

Neighbors: Cory Booker never lived in Newark  —  As Cory Booker looks set to win the junior Senate seat in New Jersey Wednesday, his supposed neighbors in Newark say Mayor Booker doesn't live in the Gateway City.  —  Multiple residents of Newark told The Daily Caller that the longtime mayor …

Alec Baldwin Betters MSNBC In Crowd But Costs In Demo, Trounced by Hannity  —  Alec Baldwin's premiere of his new MSNBC interview show Up Late With Alec Baldwin logged an average of 654,000 viewers on Friday - up 53% compared to the timeslot's take one week earlier.

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 …

A Libyan who has been held and interrogated for a week aboard a U.S. warship is now in New York awaiting trial on terrorism charges, U.S. officials said Monday.  —  The al-Qaida suspect, known as Abu Anas al-Libi, has been under federal indictment in New York for more than a decade.