In the Loop: Don’t do everything you see on television
A Range Rover ad that purports to show some illegal off-roading causes a serious case of Pike’s pique.
Surrender may be only way out for Boehner
One path appears less uncomfortable: agreeing to short-term bills on shutdown and debt.
The scowling liberals
Ever since JFK’s assassination, they carry a doctrine of grievances for inflicted injuries.
Obama can’t give in to GOP extremism
Obama can’t bow, even a little, in the face of the tea party.
Readers write about their shutdown frustrations
Federal Diary readers send letters expressing their government shutdown frustrations.
Private foundation to pay death benefits for troops
The Pentagon agrees to have charity cover payments for military families for the shutdown’s duration.
The bully pulpit is overrated. It always has been.
Historian Michael Beschloss explains why a President can't bend Congress to his will.
Cory Booker is going to win. But that doesn’t mean he’s run a good campaign.
Winning doesn’t always mean success
How President Obama could raise the debt ceiling -- without Congress
Obama has three basic options -- none of them good.
Obamacare probe...or witch trial?
Rep. Gerry Connolly to IRS official: “Have you been consorting with the devil?“
The one PowerPoint slide every Member of Congress needs to see on the debt ceiling
"Catastrophe" is not too strong a word.
Move over, economy. Dysfunctional government now seen as America's top problem.
An all-time high percentage of Americans say dysfunctional government is the country's biggest problem.
House Republicans' shifting demands to fund the government -- in one chart
Wondering what, specifically, the House GOP has been asking for? The list has kept changing.
Dems seek GOP help in forcing vote on 'clean' bill
Dems seek GOP help in forcing vote on “clean” bill.
Stephen Colbert introduces the 'Not a Game' government shutdown board game (VIDEO)
"This timer right here represents the fast-approaching debt ceiling. So you set that, then ignore it."
Did Republican gerrymandering cause the government shutdown?
President Obama said Republican districts make GOPers less willing to compromise. An email discussion on whether he’s right.
Maybe it really is ‘some damn game’
Speaker Boehner says budget battle “isn’t a damn game,” but sports language is hard to avoid.
Why John Boehner might have no choice but ‘unconditional surrender’
Short-term bills to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling may be Boehner’s least painful path.
Following JFK’s road to the White House?
A new book offers some useful lessons for senators who have higher aspirations.
Contractors find little relief from shutdown impacts
Unlike federal workers, government contractors have virtually no chance of back pay after shutdown ends.
Chris Christie on 2016 and 10 more memorable lines from the New Jersey governor's debate
The first debate between Christie and Buono grew heated early.
GOP moderates should ditch their party
Moderate GOP incumbents might do best by ditching their party affiliation.
Obama must resolve the standoff
Obama needs to exercise wisdom as well as leadership to resolve standoff.
Republicans Wolf, Wittman support ‘clean’ funding bill
The House members both have constituencies in federal-worker-heavy Northern Virginia.
Former senator ‘Mo’ Cowan to return to his old law firm
The short-term former Democratic senator is going back to Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo in Boston.
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