DAYLEE PICTURE: Mount Errigal in Ireland. From National Geographic.
Iran Parliament Endorses President Rouhani's Diplomatic Outreach from Reuters
"Iran's parliament strongly endorsed President Hassan Rouhani's diplomatic bid to dispel mistrust at the United Nations last week during a visit which ended with an historic phone call with President Barack Obama, Iranian media said."
Shocker: Chinese Fighter Jet a Piece of Junk from FOX News via National Review
"A new fighter plane built by China is drawing more snickers than raves from aviation experts, and the People’s Army is now saying the jet was really ticketed for export all along."
Inside the GOP:: Report on focus groups with Evangelical, Tea Party, and moderate Republicans from Democracy Corps
"Understand that the base thinks they are losing politically and losing control of the country – and their starting reaction is “worried,” “discouraged,” “scared,” and “concerned” about the direction of the country – and a little powerless to change course. They think Obama has im- posed his agenda, while Republicans in DC let him get away with it."
The Republicans are Terrified of Obamacare. They Should Be (Laurence Lewis) from Daily Kos
"... the years of Republican lies about what Obamacare will do will be proved to have been lies. The hardcore GOP dead-enders won't notice, but people with functioning brains will."
GOP Donors Revolt Against Republican-Led Government Shutdown (David Freedlander) from the Daily Beast
"It’s not just Democrats who are angry at the Tea Party-led shutdown. Republican donors are furious their party has managed to ‘grab defeat from the jaws of victory’ on Obamacare—and some are withholding funds, reports David Freedlander."
Obamacare's First Day Glitches Overshadowed by Success (Joan McCarter) from Daily Kos
"... if you can judge by local news reporting, those glitches are secondary to the fact that millions of people all over the nation rushed to sign up. ThinkProgress compiles local headlines. Here's a few of them: ..."
What History Will Say About Obamacare and the Government Shutdown (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"On October 1, 2013, Democrats opened up a program to bring health care to all, while Republicans peacocked around trying to stop history. It’s obvious which side will be judged more kindly years from now, says Michael Tomasky."
What’s the Fight About? Republicans Struggle to Explain (Suzy Khimm) from MSNBC
"Republicans think Obamacare is so destructive that they watched the government shut down when Democrats refused to change the law. But two days later something strange has happened: Republicans aren’t coming up with new ways to try to dismantle or delay it. Instead, they’re pushing dead-end mini bills that would fund popular parts of the government that President Barack Obama has promised to veto. So as the shutdown drags on and Obamacare falls off the negotiating table, it’s left Republicans struggling to answer a basic question: What’s the fight even about?"
It's about "stopping Obama"! If Obama suddenly came out and said he was in favor of the gov't shutdown, it would end in a hertbeat so reflexiviely anti-Obama are his Tea Party critics! This inability to explain why the the GOP is doing what it is doing underscores the larger barely controlled chaos that is so rampant now in the Republican Party. There is so much blood on the floor right now, many in the GOP think that they have to "come away with something" to show for it -- and yet they can't even get close to saying what they want and what they're willing to pass. In contrast, the Dems and Obama are unusually clear about what their position is and have not wavered one bit. The Dems benefit from the lopsided public support there is in the country for their position.
In Showdown With G.O.P., a Scrappy Reid Plays Hardball from the New York Times
Give'em Hell, Harry!!
"With Congress locked in an intractable budget dispute that kept the federal government shut down for a second day on Wednesday, Mr. Reid is not only acting as the public face of the no-compromise posture of Democrats on Capitol Hill, he is the power behind the scenes driving a hard-line strategy that the White House and Congressional Democrats are hoping will force Republicans to crack."
With Traditional GOP Allies Defecting, Big Business Takes Sides With Obama from the Talking Points Memo
"Having failed to persuade their traditional Republican allies in Congress to avert a government shutdown, business leaders fear bigger problems ahead, and they're taking sides with a Democratic president whose health care and regulatory agenda they have vigorously opposed."
Mission Accomplished: The Tea Party Shutdown (E.J. Dionne) from Real Clear Politics
"My conservative colleague Michael Gerson had it exactly right Tuesday: "We are no longer seeing a revolt against the Republican leadership, or even against the Republican 'establishment'; this revolt is against anyone who accepts the constraints of political reality." I would only add: This is also revolt against anyone who accepts majority rule and constitutional constraints."
How the Government Shutdown is Tearing the GOP Apart (Jon Terbush) from The Week
"Entering day two of the shutdown, Republicans have turned this into a fight among themselves."
Why Boehner Doesn’t Just Ditch the Hard Right (Ezra Klein) from the Washington Post
"Robert Costa is the National Review's Washington editor and one of the best-sourced reporters among House Republicans. Like many others, I've relied on his reporting in recent days about how House Republicans are strategizing around the government shutdown. ... We spoke by phone this afternoon, and a lightly edited transcript follows."
Ted Cruz Blasted by Angry GOP Colleagues from Politico
"At a closed-door lunch meeting in the Senate’s Mansfield Room, Republican after Republican pressed Cruz to explain how he would propose to end the bitter budget impasse with Democrats, according to senators who attended the meeting. A defensive Cruz had no clear plan to force an end to the shutdown — or explain how he would defund Obamacare, as he has demanded all along, sources said."
The GOP's Obamacare Suicide (David Corn) from Mother Jones Magazine
"... at the same time that the party is allowing itself to be branded as an ideologically rigid outfit controlled by political hostage takers, it has been endangering its future by waging a high-profile but Alamo-like stand against Obamacare, just as a main component of the health care program is kicking in—and appears to be popular."
House Now Has The Votes To End Government Shutdown, But It Won't from the Huffington Post
"Less than two days after the government shut down, there are now more than 17 Republicans who say they're ready to pass a bill to fund the government with no strings attached, giving the House the votes it needs to pass a clean funding bill."
Dems: Prolonged Shutdown Will Give Us Leverage on Debt Limit (Alexander Bolton) from The Hill
Senate Democrats believe the longer the government remains shut down, the more leverage they will wield in the debt-limit debate later this month. There is growing sentiment among Democrats that the short-term funding resolution and debt-limit increase should be combined. They claim the issues should be merged to take advantage of Republicans, who are pided and off balance trying to fend off blame for the shutdown.
ANCIENT ROME NUGGET!!
20 Roman-Era Skulls Uncovered Beneath a London Railway Station from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Around 20 Roman skulls have been found under Liverpool Street station. They were discovered below the 16th century Bedlam burial ground."
SPECTACULAR SPELUNKING NUGGET!!
The cave so huge it has its own weather system: Explorers discover a lost world from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"The cave system was discovered in the Chongquing province of China by a team of cavers and photographers. Caver Robbie Shone, from Manchester, said a few of the caves had previously been used by nitrate miners but had not been properly explored. The network, which includes 'cloud Ladder Hall' measuring around 51,000 metres squared, has water sources and vegetation of the floor."
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