memeorandum: Armed gun rights activists rally at the Alamo (Associated Press)

10:00 PM ET, October 19, 2013

Top Items:

Cruz Warns Senate GOP: ‘Consequences’ for Supporting ‘Lousy Deal’ — According to Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, it's his colleagues, more than anyone, who should be blamed for the failure of the defund-Obamacare campaign — and he expects conservatives to remember come primary season.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Raw Story and The Hill

Laura Koran / CNN:

Ted Cruz, back in Texas, rails against fellow Senate Republicans — Programing note: CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley will have an exclusive interview with Sen. Ted Cruz, this Sunday at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. ET. — (CNN) - Sen. Ted Cruz returned to Texas following a whirlwind week …

Discussion: ABC News

Kathleen Parker / Washington Post:

The crux of Ted Cruz — Two things are often said in this town: “A day is a year in politics.” And, “It's all about 2014.” — Combined, the two statements mean that much can happen between now and the midterm elections next year, when Republicans hope to hold the House and gain the Senate …

Discussion: Hot Air, Prairie Weather, The Huffington Post and New York Times

Tyler Cowen / Marginal Revolution:

Tyrone on why the government shutdown and the debt ceiling crisis were brilliant Republican strategy — Tyrone, my evil twin brother, was in town visiting the other day, after a long absence. He was upset that I gave so little space to the recent machinations in Washington …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo and The Volokh Conspiracy

Justin Sink / Ballot Box:

Hillary Clinton hits campaign trail to endorse McAuliffe — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decried the “scorched earth politics” that led to the government shutdown at a campaign event for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on Saturday.

Discussion: Politico and CNN

James Hohmann / Politico:

Trailing, Ken Cuccinelli seeks to fire up base — Ken Cuccinelli thinks his best hope for a comeback in the final three weeks of a Virginia governor's race that has drifted away from him is to focus on driving up conservative turnout. — So a few hours after Hillary Clinton stumps …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Washington Times, Hot Air, Reuters, Washington Wire and Liberty University …

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Cuccinelli: ObamaCare is embarrassing

Discussion: Politico

Associated Press:

Armed gun rights activists rally at the Alamo — SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Several hundred gun rights activists armed with rifles and shotguns rallied outside of the Alamo on Saturday in a demonstration that broke a longstanding tradition of not staging such events at the enduring symbol of Texas independence.

Discussion: his vorpal sword and Liberaland

Wall Street Journal:

The HHS Secretary refuses to testify about ObamaCare's rollout. — The Affordable Care Act's botched rollout has stunned its media cheering section, and it even seems to have surprised the law's architects. The problems run much deeper than even critics expected, and whatever federal officials …

Discussion: Hot Air and Power Line

Jennifer Fermino / NY Daily News:

After Bill de Blasio, Joe Lhota vow to add Muslim holidays to school calendar, other groups seek recognition — The leading mayoral candidates vowed to close school for the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Now advocates for other religious and ethnic groups would like their days to be recognized as well.

Discussion: Liberaland, Gothamist and theGrio

Jason Linkins / The Huffington Post:

This Should Be Fun: Sen. Bernie Sanders Will Be On Budget Conference Committee — In what can only be seen as good news for people who like traditional earned-benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare, here's one name that appears on the list of Senate conferees …

Discussion: Corrente, Guardian and PoliticusUSA

Clarke Canfield / Associated Press:

Pot Legalization Effort Moves Eastward To Maine — PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Advocates of recreational marijuana use are looking to an upcoming vote in Maine as an indicator of whether the East Coast is ready to follow in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington by legalizing cannabis.

Discussion: Liberaland

Devlin Barrett / Wall Street Journal:

J.P. Morgan Reaches $13 Billion Tentative Deal with Justice Department — WASHINGTON—J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. has reached a tentative deal to pay a record $13 billion to the Justice Department to settle a number of outstanding probes of its residential mortgage-backed securities business …