Top Items:
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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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, Commentary Magazine, Right Turn, Rothenblog, Balloon Juice and No More Mister Nice Blog
Todd J. Gillman / Dallas Morning News:
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
Todd Starnes / Fox News:
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
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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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
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.
ThinkProgress:
One Month After Devastating Floods In Colorado, End Of Shutdown Could Help Bring Relief
One Month After Devastating Floods In Colorado, End Of Shutdown Could Help Bring Relief
Discussion:
Michael Bennet and GovBeat
Senate Conservatives Fund:
McConnell Deal Includes Kentucky Kickback
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
Kerry Picket / BREITBART.COM:
Senate Debt Deal Weakens Congress on Debt Ceiling
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
John Stanton / BuzzFeed:
Shutdown Deal Includes Nearly $3 Billion For Kentucky Dam Project
Shutdown Deal Includes Nearly $3 Billion For Kentucky Dam Project
Discussion:
E2-Wire, The Daily Beast, The Week, Power Line and National Review
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.
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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.
Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
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
Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Hands Empty but Spirit Unbowed, House Republicans Take Stock
Hands Empty but Spirit Unbowed, House Republicans Take Stock
Discussion:
ABC News and Daniel W. Drezner
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, Taylor Marsh and Right Wing Watch
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Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
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
John Fund / National Review:
Dem ‘Referendum’ on Tea Party Fizzles: Booker Margin in N.J. Barely Half of Obama's in 2012
Dem ‘Referendum’ on Tea Party Fizzles: Booker Margin in N.J. Barely Half of Obama's in 2012
Discussion:
Booman Tribune
Sarah Palin / BREITBART.COM:
ON TO KENTUCKY — Todd and I were proud to stand with Mark Levin …
ON TO KENTUCKY — Todd and I were proud to stand with Mark Levin …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy
Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Booker, Winning Rocky Senate Bid, Gets a Job to Fit His Profile
Booker, Winning Rocky Senate Bid, Gets a Job to Fit His Profile
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Politico and Balloon Juice
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:
The Vote to Free the Hostages — It was a foregone conclusion that the bill to end the manufactured fiscal crisis would sail through Congress once Ted Cruz foreswore a filibuster and John Boehner abandoned the “Hastert Rule.” The actual votes were anticlimactic, but still interesting.
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Nate Cohn / The New Republic:
Familiar GOP Divisions Exposed In Debt Ceiling Vote
Familiar GOP Divisions Exposed In Debt Ceiling Vote
Discussion:
The Dish, Talking Points Memo and Wonkblog
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:
Liberaland, Hot Air, Reuters and The Raw Story
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Graham: Polls factored into GOP folding — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday that the polling backlash against the Republican Party was one of the reasons Senate Republicans were eager to cut a deal with Democrats. — “Well you can't let 20 or 30 polls cloud you're thinking apparently …
Discussion:
Politico and CANNONFIRE
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Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Republican Collapse — Congress has finally worked out a deal …
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
Marshall Sella / GQ Magazine Online:
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
Betsy Woodruff / National Review:
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
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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 …