Top Items:


Tea Party's Image Turns More Negative — Ted Cruz's Popularity Soars among Tea Party Republicans — The Tea Party is less popular than ever, with even many Republicans now viewing the movement negatively. Overall, nearly half of the public (49%) has an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party, while 30% have a favorable opinion.
RELATED:

Winners and losers of the debt-limit fight — The 2013 fiscal showdown was ugly, especially for Republicans. — Both parties have scoffed that there are winners and losers in the debate. — Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) recently said, “This isn't a damn game!”


Advancing. Ever Advancing. — Much cynicism has been expressed over the past month about the effort, led by Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, to fight Obamacare. It was about money or defeating Republicans or something other than what it was about — undermining Obamacare with a united front.
Discussion:
firstread.nbcnews.com, Commentary Magazine, Right Turn, alicublog, Rothenblog, Balloon Juice, No More Mister Nice Blog and BuzzFeed


There's a little pork in that bill: The 5 most surprising provisions in the debt deal — (CNN) — So much for a “clean” bill. The measure passed by Congress to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling also contains some goodies and gifts tucked into the 35-page bill.
Discussion:
BizPac Review


Ted Cruz left with few friends after Obamacare fight fails, government shutdown ends, debt limit rises — Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he wouldn't try to block the Senate agreement. “There's nothing to be gained from delaying this vote one day or two days. The outcome will be the same,” Cruz said.
Discussion:
The Agonist, Sky Dancing, Houston Chronicle and Mediaite

American taxpayers betrayed by chicken-hearted RINOs — American taxpayers have once again been trampled by establishment Republicans - a thundering herd of chicken-hearted Republicans in Name Only (RINOs) galloping to the Left. — The debt ceiling deal struck between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid …
Discussion:
Reuters and The Right Scoop

One Month After Devastating Floods In Colorado, End Of Shutdown Could Help Bring Relief
Discussion:
Michael Bennet and GovBeat

Familiar GOP Divisions Exposed In Debt Ceiling Vote
Discussion:
The Dish, Talking Points Memo and Wonkblog

Graham: Polls factored into GOP folding
Discussion:
Politico and CANNONFIRE

Deal buys Democrats and Republicans a little time to find a big fiscal fix
Discussion:
The Plum Line, The Fix, Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

McConnell Deal Includes Kentucky Kickback
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, WFPL, The Hill, Independent Journal Review, Talking Points Memo, Liberaland, ThinkProgress, E2-Wire and National Review

Senate Debt Deal Weakens Congress on Debt Ceiling
Discussion:
Politico, Power Line, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, National Review, Daily Kos, The Lonely Conservative, VodkaPundit, ThinkProgress, The Week, Hit & Run and The People's View

Republican Collapse — Congress has finally worked out a deal …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Raw Story, DownWithTyranny!, The Federalist, Real Clear Politics, TheBlaze.com, Hot Air and The Dish

Shutdown Deal Includes Nearly $3 Billion For Kentucky Dam Project
Discussion:
E2-Wire, The Daily Beast, The Week, Power Line and National Review

Cruz: It was a ‘remarkable victory’ until Senate Republicans caved on the shutdown
Discussion:
Firedoglake

Cory Booker makes history as he defeats Steve Lonegan in U.S. Senate election — NEWARK — Cory Booker's star-quality and his skill at surviving the roughhouse politics of New Jersey's biggest city took him from the mayor's office to the U.S. Senate today in a hard-fought victory over Republican iconoclast Steve Lonegan.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Taylor Marsh, New York Times, Right Wing Watch and Balloon Juice
RELATED:


Only Four African Americans Have Ever Been Elected To The U.S. Senate In All Of American History — New Jersey voters elected Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) on Wednesday to the seat once held by the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D). When he is seated, Senator-elect Booker will join Sen. Tim Scott …
Discussion:
NBCNews and Shakesville


Dem ‘Referendum’ on Tea Party Fizzles: Booker Margin in N.J. Barely Half of Obama's in 2012
Discussion:
Booman Tribune

ON TO KENTUCKY — Todd and I were proud to stand with Mark Levin …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Cory Booker wins New Jersey Senate seat
Discussion:
Post Politics, Outside the Beltway, Equality Matters, CNN, Ballot Box, Power Line, Yahoo! News, Hot Air and Scared Monkeys

Ryan breaks from Boehner, votes ‘no’ — Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) split with his party's leadership and voted against the Senate fiscal agreement on Wednesday night. — In a statement, Ryan called the legislation to reopen the government and lift the debt ceiling “a missed opportunity” to reduce the federal debt.
RELATED:


Obama signs bill ending partial shutdown, raising debt ceiling
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Right Scoop and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

GOP Congressman Rips Tea Party Colleagues: 'I'm Not Sure They're Republicans'
Discussion:
Fox News, Outside the Beltway, Connecting.the.Dots, Hot Air, Mediaite, Yahoo! News, Guardian and Washington Examiner


Conservatives Learned The Wrong Lessons From The Shutdown Debacle — For a certain block of House conservatives, the ones who drove Speaker John Boehner toward a government shutdown and near-default against his will, the lesson of the last few weeks isn't that they overreached.
Discussion:
The Mahablog
RELATED:

Hands Empty but Spirit Unbowed, House Republicans Take Stock
Discussion:
ABC News and Daniel W. Drezner

McCain: No more shutdowns, ‘I guarantee it’ — Washington (CNN) - Sen. John McCain promised Thursday the government will not shut down again in the near future, and argued the President, as the victor in the recent showdown, will now have to engage with his political opponents on Capitol Hill.
Discussion:
Politico
RELATED:


Documents reveal NSA's extensive involvement in targeted killing program — It was an innocuous e-mail, one of millions sent every day by spouses with updates on the situation at home. But this one was of particular interest to the National Security Agency and contained clues that put …
Discussion:
Liberaland, Hot Air, Reuters and The Raw Story


The Year of Living Carlos Dangerously — Anthony Weiner's sexting addiction nuked his political career (twice!), endangered his marriage (twice!), and turned him into a walking penis joke (forever!). — Marshall Sella tails Weiner through his doomed campaign for New York mayor …
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Liberaland, Gawker, The Daily Caller and Politicker

Norquist: Defunders Owe Conservatives an Apology — Grover Norquist isn't happy with the Defunders. The Americans for Tax Reform president told reporters today that they have a lot of apologies to make and bridges to re-build. — “It'd be a good idea if they stopped referring …
Discussion:
American Prospect, Talking Points Memo and ThinkProgress
RELATED:

House stenographer hauled from floor — A House floor stenographer was abruptly hauled out of the chamber after charging the dais and screaming during Wednesday's late night vote on raising the debt ceiling and funding the federal government. — As the bill sailed toward final passage …

Hillary Clinton, Welcome to the White House — She has no Democratic challenger, and the Republican Party is no longer a credible opposition force. — Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton smiles as she waits to answer questions from an audience at Chatham House on October 11, 2013 in London, England.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News

The Republican Surrender — President Obama signed the bill reopening the government and lifting the debt ceiling early Thursday morning. — The Republican Party slunk away on Wednesday from its failed, ruinous strategy to get its way through the use of havoc.