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 …

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.

Why Only Republicans Can Save Us From the Tea Party  —  Facebook Twitter Digg Reddit StumbleUpon Delicious  —  There is only one route to restoring health to the American polity, comity to its dialogue, constructive and collegial approaches to governance, an end to extortion and a restoration …

The Truth About the Obamacare Rollout  —  The feds botched the website.  But the states are doing much better.  —  The federal government is open and paying its bills, which means you can start looking at the other big story from the past few weeks: The startup of Obamacare's marketplaces.

Obamacare: The ultimate survivor  —  With enemies like John Boehner, a president hardly needs friends.  —  “Our drive to stop the train wreck that is the president's health care law will continue,” the House Speaker blustered Wednesday night after failing yet again to derail, defund or even delay the Affordable Care Act.

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.

Here's a ‘grand bargain’ for ya: Tax cuts for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending  —  With the government shutdown over, the serious political discussion moves to the budget talks, already in progress.  But it's already obvious the talks are likely to go nowhere, because Republicans won't give any ground on new revenues.

Saudi Arabia Rejects Security Council Seat  —  LONDON — Assailing what it called double standards at the United Nations, Saudi Arabia took the surprising step Friday of declining an invitation to take a rotating seat on the Security Council just one day after it was chosen to join the body for a two-year term.

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.

How the GOP Slowly Went Insane  —  The current moment in politics came about slowly, not suddenly, but it doesn't make it any less of a national emergency.  —  When I was a kid, all I knew about Michael Jackson was that he was crazy.  He had a monkey named Bubbles and some kind of oxygen chamber …

PLAYBOY INTERVIEW: BERNIE SANDERS  —  At a time when politicians—particularly members of Congress—are almost universally reviled and blind partisanship seems to dictate the fate of every piece of legislation, one U.S. senator stands out as a unique voice.  —  Bernie Sanders has been a senator from Vermont since 2006.

McConnell challenger nabs big endorsement  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) primary challenger got a boost Friday with the endorsement of a prominent national conservative group, the Senate Conservatives Fund.  —  The endorsement of Matt Bevin comes just days after the fund blasted McConnell …

Walmart employee fired after trying to help assault victim in store parking lot  —  HARTLAND, MI (WXYZ) - “The last thing I expected was to not have a job,” said Kristopher Oswald, 30, who was fired from Walmart this week after he intervened to help a woman who was apparently being assaulted in the parking lot of the store.

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, even if front-runner Hillary Clinton …

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 …

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.

Conservatives, Get a Grip on Reality!  —  Those who thought shutting down the government was a winning strategy should have their heads examined.  —  Here's a question for conservatives and Republicans: Going into the 2012 Election Day, or even in the last few days before Election Day, did you think Mitt Romney was going to win?

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.

Former Speaker Tom Foley dies at 84  —  Former Speaker Tom Foley (D-Wa.) has died at the age of 84, according to multiple media reports.  —  Foley served in the House of Representatives for 30 years, from 1965 to 1995.  He was elected Speaker in 1989, and served in that role until 1994 …

Ted Cruz Failed To Disclose Ties To Caribbean Holding Company  —  An old college friendship led to financial entanglement with a Jamaican private equity firm and a British Virgin Islands holding company.  Neither was disclosed during his 2012 campaign.  —  Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz …