memeorandum: Senate Debt Deal Weakens Congress on Debt Ceiling (Kerry Picket/BREITBART.COM)

8:50 AM ET, October 17, 2013

Top Items:

Republicans Back Down, Ending Crisis Over Shutdown and Debt Limit — WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans conceded defeat on Wednesday in their bitter budget fight with President Obama over the new health care law as the House and Senate approved last-minute legislation ending a disruptive 16 …

Russell Berman / The Hill:

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.

Discussion: Politico, The Fix, NewsMax.com and The Reality-Based Community

Jonathan Strong / National Review:

The Last Conference — At the last GOP conference meeting of the two-week government shutdown, no lawmakers went to the microphones to give their take. — Instead, after Speaker John Boehner told Republicans they had “fought the good fight,” they all rose up to offer a standing ovation.

Discussion: The Week, Vox Popoli, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Lonely Conservative, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Gateway Pundit

Shane Goldmacher / NationalJournal.com:

GOP Congressman Rips Tea Party Colleagues: 'I'm Not Sure They're Republicans' — Intra-party tensions are running high as end to shutdown nears. — Boustany (right): The tea party's allegiance is to outside interest groups, not conservative values. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Hot Air, Yahoo! News and Guardian

Fox News:

Obama signs bill ending partial shutdown, raising debt ceiling — President Obama early Thursday signed a short-term bill ending the partial government shutdown and raising the debt ceiling, capping one of the most bitter and brutal political fights in recent memory.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Right Scoop and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

New York Times:

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.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Hinterland Gazette, Prairie Weather, Speaker.gov, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing and National Review

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:

Senate Votes To Re-Open Government, Raise Debt Limit — In the first step of a two-step process, the Senate voted Wednesday night to re-open the federal government and raise the debt ceiling. — The bill passed 81-18. Among the senators who voted against the bill: Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn …

Discussion: The Atlantic Wire, his vorpal sword and The Raw Story

Russell Berman / The Hill:
Republicans grapple with stinging defeat

Discussion: Politico

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Hands Empty but Spirit Unbowed, House Republicans Take Stock

Discussion: ABC News

Jonathan Strong / National Review:
Boehner Safe — Speaker John Boehner may be preparing to bring …

Discussion: The Hill, Mediaite, The Week, Hot Air, The Plum Line, The Federalist, FreedomWorks and Politico

www.700wlw.com:
John Boehner to Willie: 'We Just Didn't Win'

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Week, Roll Call and Talking Points Memo

The Atlantic Online:
Republicans Shut Down the Government for Nothing

Discussion: ABC News, Right Wing News, Connecting.the.Dots, Outside the Beltway, ThinkProgress, Hit & Run, Prairie Weather and Mediaite

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Rep. Mulvaney: Boehner ‘Hundred Percent Stronger’ Now

Discussion: Mediaite

Yahoo! News:
Senate and House pass bill to re-open the government, raise the debt ceiling

Discussion: Weekly Standard and The Gateway Pundit

Washington Post:
Obama signs bill to raise debt limit, reopen government

Discussion: Federal Eye, The Moderate Voice, Post Politics, PostPartisan, Wonkblog, Business Insider, The Reaction, The Fix and The BLT

Phillip M. Bailey / WFPL:

McConnell-Reid Deal Includes $3 Billion Earmark for Kentucky Project — A proposal to end the government shutdown and avoid default orchestrated by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Leader Harry Reid includes a nearly $3 billion earmark for a Kentucky project.

Discussion: Doug Ross, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, Pat Dollard, BuzzFeed, The Lonely Conservative, The Other McCain, Conservatives4Palin and Politico

Senate Conservatives Fund:

McConnell Deal Includes Kentucky Kickback — The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) criticized U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Wednesday for allowing a $2 billion Kentucky earmark to be added to the debt deal he negotiated with U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). SCF Executive Director Matt Hoskins made the following statement:

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Independent Journal Review, ThinkProgress, Liberaland and National Review

Bob Cusack / The Hill:

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!”

Discussion: Politico and Reuters

John Stanton / BuzzFeed:

Shutdown Deal Includes Nearly $3 Billion For Kentucky Dam Project — “According to the Army Corps of Engineers, 160 million taxpayer dollars will be wasted because of canceled contracts if this language is not included,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, one of the authors of the language.

Discussion: The Week, The Daily Beast, Power Line and National Review

Erick Erickson / RedState:
Advancing. Ever Advancing.

Discussion: Rothenblog and Balloon Juice

Kerry Picket / BREITBART.COM:
Senate Debt Deal Weakens Congress on Debt Ceiling

Discussion: Power Line, Hot Air, Politico, Weasel Zippers, Daily Kos, National Review, VodkaPundit, The Lonely Conservative and The People's View

David Edwards / The Raw Story:
Cruz: It was a ‘remarkable victory’ until Senate Republicans caved on the shutdown

Discussion: Firedoglake

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

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.

Discussion: CNN, Yahoo! News, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Post Politics, Balloon Juice, CANNONFIRE, AMERICAblog News, The Fix, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice, Liberal Values, Politico, WFPL and Political Algebra

Fox News:
Hume: Tea Party pushed budget stand-off because GOP ‘utterly failed’ to restrain bloated gov't

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, The Dish, Independent Journal Review, RedState and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Republican Collapse — Congress has finally worked out a deal …

Discussion: The Federalist, Hot Air, Real Clear Politics, TheBlaze.com, The Dish, Firedoglake, KDVR.com and Talking Points Memo

Elizabeth Titus / Politico:

Cory Booker wins New Jersey Senate seat — Democrat Cory Booker won the special election for New Jersey's Senate seat on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. The Newark mayor and heavy favorite in the race defeated Republican and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan.

Discussion: Power Line, NewsBusters, Talking Points Memo and OpenSecrets.org

Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:
Booker wins New Jersey Senate race

Discussion: E2-Wire

CNN:
Booker wins special Senate election in N.J.

Discussion: Hot Air and Scared Monkeys

New Jersey Online:
Live coverage: Booker defeats Lonegan in U.S. Senate election

Discussion: Roll Call, Independent Journal Review, BizPac Review, Obsidian Wings and Weekly Standard

Maggie Haberman / Politico:
Cory Booker spent less than $1 million on TV

Discussion: Yahoo! News

Politico:

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 …

Greg Miller / Washington Post:

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: The Raw Story