We Won't Back Down on ObamaCare  —  Fighting a law that is unfair, unworkable and unaffordable is reasonable and necessary.  —  Now that the government shutdown has ended and the president has preserved ObamaCare for the time being, it's worth explaining why my organization, the Heritage Foundation …

This is what happened ..... Click to read  —  From FNC CHAD PERGRAM:  —  Urgent: House Stenographer says Holy Spirit woke her up at night to deliver message to the House  —  Karrah Kaplan spoke with the husband of House stenographer Dianne Reidy last night.  There's an emailed statement here from Dan Reidy.

Brian Schweitzer Mulling 2016 Presidential Bid  —  Add another name to the short list of Democrats seriously considering a run for president in 2016.  —  In an interview with RealClearPolitics, former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer indicated that he may launch a White House bid …

Ted Cruz Not Looking for ‘99 New Friends’ in the Senate  —  Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, doesn't have many friends in Washington these days and he says he doesn't need 'em.  —  “There's an old saying that, 'Politics, it ain't beanbag.' And, you know, I'm not serving in office because I desperately needed 99 …

Analysis: Republicans reassess after shutdown debacle  —  The GOP establishment has embarked, once again, on a round of soul-searching.  But this time, the question is: What will it take to save the Republicans from the self-destructive impulses of the tea party movement?

October House Overview: GOP Risk Factors  —  Earlier this year, a senior House Democrat ribbed our pessimistic forecast for their 2014 prospects by suggesting, “Why can't you just say 'Democrats can't win a majority in the House, but Republicans can lose one?'”  That admonition has never seemed more appropriate.

The Damage Done  —  The government is reopening, and we didn't default on our debt.  Happy days are here again, right?  —  Well, no. For one thing, Congress has only voted in a temporary fix, and we could find ourselves going through it all over again in a few months.

There's no actual debt ceiling right now  —  There's no actual debt ceiling right now.  —  The fiscal deal passed by Congress on Wednesday evening to re-open the government and get around the $16.4 trillion limit on borrowing doesn't actually increase the debt limit.  It just temporarily suspends enforcement of it.

In Defense of Kathleen Sebelius  —  The ObamaCare disaster isn't just a management failure.  —  “Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, has no intention of bowing to Republican demands that she resign,” the New York Times reports.  And amid what even the Times admits …

At Al Smith Dinner, Colbert Doesn't Spare Politicians  —  When the comedian Stephen Colbert took to the dais on Thursday for his keynote speech at the Al Smith white-tie charity dinner, the annual gathering of New York's Roman Catholic elite, he immediately flashed a sly glance at Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, sitting a few seats away.

Health Website Woes Widen as Insurers Get Wrong Data  —  Insurers say the federal health-care marketplace is generating flawed data that is straining their ability to handle even the trickle of enrollees who have gotten through so far.

Redskins and reason  —  In re the (Washington) Redskins.  Should the name be changed?  —  I don't like being lectured by sportscasters about ethnic sensitivity.  Or advised by the president of the United States about changing team names.  Or blackmailed by tribal leaders playing the race card.

Begich tops $800K for quarter  —  Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) pulled in $813,000 and has more than $2.4 million in the bank for his reelection campaign, putting him far ahead of his GOP opponents in the cash race.  —  Begich's haul is a bit of a slowdown from the last few fundraising quarters …

They're Not Going To Take It Anymore: New Generation Of Immigrant Advocates Take Radical Approach  —  The frustration, say immigration advocates, is reaching a fever pitch.  —  That is why, many say, recent weeks have seen activists use chains and pipes to tie themselves to the tires of buses …

Obama's Edge Over G.O.P. Is Still Unclear After Victory in Standoff  —  WASHINGTON — As the Senate voted Wednesday night on a bipartisan deal to reopen the government and avert a national default, President Obama emerged from the Oval Office prepared to head to the White House briefing room to deliver a televised statement.

House panel nixes Grayson's request for Syria intelligence  —  In a highly unusual move, the House Intelligence Committee voted this week to deny an outspoken Florida lawmaker access to classified information supporting President Barack Obama's call for a military strike in Syria.

Cory Booker Plans To Start Marrying Same-Sex Couples At 12:01 A.M. Monday  —  The senator-elect is slated to marry the couples in the wake of a trial-court ruling requiring marriage equality in the Garden State.  The only question is whether the New Jersey Supreme Court will put same-sex couples' weddings …

Two Parties Start Work to Avoid Repeat Crisis  —  WASHINGTON — With the government reopened and a debt default averted for now, Congressional negotiators on Thursday plunged into difficult budget talks to avoid a repeat crisis within months, and quickly agreed to lower their sights from the sort …

Saudi Arabia, angered over Mideast, declines Security Council seat  —  (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, in an unprecedented show of anger at the failure of the international community to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues, said on Friday it would not take up its seat on the United Nations Security Council.

McConnell's Exit Interview  —  On Thursday morning, I sat down with Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, in his Capitol office.  We discussed his role in brokering the recent fiscal deal, his outlook on future talks, and Republican expectations for divided government.

Michael Barone: Washington Is Partisan—Get Used to It  —  Consensus is elusive in an electorate without the shared memories of the Great Depression and World War II.

Henninger: Obama Romneyizes the Republicans  —  The president is doing the same thing to Ted Cruz and the tea party that he did to the 1%.

Unlike shutdown, GOP says Democrats must bend on immigration  —  WASHINGTON — Before the bill to end the budget impasse even hit President Obama's desk Wednesday, he and congressional Democrats had pivoted to what they hope is the next big legislative battle: an overhaul …