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

5:50 AM ET, October 17, 2013

Top Items:

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 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 Gateway Pundit, Ricochet Conversations Feed and The Lonely Conservative

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 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

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

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

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

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

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Matt Drudge Predicts Pelosi Will Be Next Speaker

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, The Moderate Voice and The Raw Story

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

Discussion: Mediaite

David Corn / Mother Jones:
House Dems Sent Boehner a Message: Strike a Deal and Maybe We Can Help Protect Your Speakership

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Hill

New York Times:

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 …

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 Raw Story and his vorpal sword

The Atlantic Online:
Republicans Shut Down the Government for Nothing

Discussion: ABC News, Connecting.the.Dots, Weasel Zippers, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, Taegan Goddard's …, ThinkProgress, Hit & Run, Mediaite and Prairie Weather

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

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

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

Discussion: Weekly Standard and The Gateway Pundit

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:
CONGRESSMAN: ‘CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS’ IF GOP CAVES ON DEBT CEILING

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and protein wisdom

ABC News:
House, Senate Vote Tonight on Fiscal Compromise

Discussion: 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.

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

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

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

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Limbaugh: GOP Most ‘Irrelevant’ Political Party I Can Remember

Discussion: The Raw Story

William A. Galston / Wall Street Journal:
The Tea Party and the GOP Crackup

Discussion: Doug Ross and FOX News Radio

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 — Newark Mayor Cory Booker won the New Jersey Senate special election on Wednesday night in an unsurprising finale to a surprisingly contentious race. — The Associated Press called the race for Booker, who led Lonegan 56 percent to 43 percent, with 52 percent of precincts reporting.

CNN:

Booker wins special Senate election in N.J. — (CNN) - Cory Booker is heading to Washington. — The 44-year-old two-term Democratic mayor of Newark, New Jersey defeated his Republican opponent, Steve Lonegan, Wednesday in a special U.S. Senate election. — Follow @politicaltickerFollow @psteinhauserCNN

Discussion: Hot Air and Scared Monkeys

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

Discussion: Roll Call, Obsidian Wings and Weekly Standard

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

Discussion: Yahoo! News

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, The Hill, Independent Journal Review, Politico, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, National Review, Liberaland, The Other McCain and Conservatives4Palin

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, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, Pat Dollard, Washington Post, Weasel Zippers, BuzzFeed and The Lonely Conservative

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 Daily Beast, National Review and Power Line

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

Discussion: Firedoglake

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 …

Discussion: C-SPAN Video Library

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:

S&P: Shutdown cost economy at least $24B — The government shutdown cost the nation's economy at least $24 billion and shaved 0.6 percent off the nation's economic growth, according to new analysis from Standard & Poor's. — With a deal seemingly headed for the finish line …

Discussion: Econbrowser, PoliticusUSA and The Hinterland Gazette

Steven Perlberg / Business Insider:
S&P: The Shutdown Took $24 Billion Out Of The US Economy

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo and Wonkblog

Reuters:

U.S. eavesdropping agency chief, top deputy expected to depart soon — (Reuters) - The director of the U.S. National Security Agency and his deputy are expected to depart in the coming months, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, in a development that could give President Barack Obama a chance to reshape the eavesdropping agency.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Verge and Techdirt