Top Items:
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!”
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Erick Erickson / RedState:
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, Rothenblog, No More Mister Nice Blog and Balloon Juice
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.
Steve Almasy / CNN:
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
Todd Starnes / Fox News:
American taxpayers betrayed by chicken-hearted RINOs
Discussion:
Reuters, The Right Scoop and Twitchy
Senate Conservatives Fund:
McConnell Deal Includes Kentucky Kickback
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, Independent Journal Review, Talking Points Memo, Liberaland, ThinkProgress and National Review
Kerry Picket / BREITBART.COM:
Senate Debt Deal Weakens Congress on Debt Ceiling
Discussion:
Power Line, Hot Air, Politico, Weasel Zippers, National Review, Daily Kos, VodkaPundit, The Lonely Conservative, ThinkProgress, The Week and Hit & Run
John Stanton / BuzzFeed:
Shutdown Deal Includes Nearly $3 Billion For Kentucky Dam Project
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, The Week, Power Line and National Review
David Edwards / The Raw Story:
Cruz: It was a ‘remarkable victory’ until Senate Republicans caved on the shutdown
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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, Washington Post and The Reality-Based Community
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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, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather, Speaker.gov, National Review and Sky Dancing
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
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.
Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Hands Empty but Spirit Unbowed, House Republicans Take Stock
Discussion:
ABC News
New York Times:
Republicans Back Down, Ending Crisis Over Shutdown and Debt Limit
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Fox News, Taegan Goddard's …, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Business Insider, WFPL, Washington Wire, Scared Monkeys, The Verge, ataxingmatter, The Moderate Voice, Firedoglake, Washington Post, ACS Blog, Politicker, USA Today, The Week, The Hill, ABC News, Dealbreaker, The Hinterland Gazette, The Reaction, Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire, Balloon Juice, Washington Free Beacon, Towleroad News #gay, The Raw Story, Washington Times, Corrente, Politico, Washington Monthly, Hot Air, Prairie Weather and CNN
Jonathan Strong / National Review:
Boehner Safe — Speaker John Boehner may be preparing to bring …
Discussion:
The Hill, Mediaite, Hot Air, The Plum Line, The Week, The Federalist, FreedomWorks and Politico
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.
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Russell Berman / The Hill:
Republicans grapple with stinging defeat — ObamaCare remained nearly unchanged as Congress voted to reopen the government and avert default Wednesday night and President Obama signed the legislation early Thursday. — The only provision touching the healthcare law that was included …
Discussion:
Politico
CNN:
Republican congressman: It was worth the fight — Washington (CNN) - Rep. Mick Mulvaney, a tea party firebrand, said Thursday the fight that led to a government shutdown was worth it, but he acknowledged the GOP's messaging wasn't as effective. — “Anytime you fight for something …
Discussion:
The Lead with Jake Tapper
Shane Goldmacher / NationalJournal.com:
GOP Congressman Rips Tea Party Colleagues: 'I'm Not Sure They're Republicans'
Discussion:
Connecting.the.Dots, Hot Air, Washington Examiner, Yahoo! News and Guardian
New Jersey Online:
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, New York Times and Balloon Juice
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ThinkProgress:
Only Four African Americans Have Ever Been Elected To The U.S. Senate In All Of American History
Jessica L. Taylor / NBCNews:
Booker wins Senate race in New Jersey
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, theGrio, Mashable and Shakesville
Elizabeth Titus / Politico:
Cory Booker wins New Jersey Senate seat
Discussion:
Post Politics, Equality Matters, Power Line, NewsBusters and Talking Points Memo
Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:
Booker wins New Jersey Senate race
Discussion:
E2-Wire, Politico and Yahoo! News
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
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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 …
Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:
GOP's presidential hopefuls oppose deal — Nearly every potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate serving in Congress opposed a deal, passed late Wednesday night, to fund the government and raise the debt limit. — Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Ted Cruz (Texas) …
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Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
Senate Votes To Re-Open Government, Raise Debt Limit
Discussion:
his vorpal sword, The Raw Story and The Atlantic Wire
Ian Swanson / The Hill:
Congress approves deal to end shutdown, raise debt ceiling
Discussion:
Weekly Standard and Infowars
Fareed Zakaria / Washington Post:
Conservatism needs to lighten up — The crisis has been resolved, but this respite is temporary. We are bound to have more standoffs and brinkmanship in the months and years ahead. To understand why, you must recognize that, for the tea party, the stakes could not be higher.
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