Tea Party Support Dwindles to Near-Record Low  —  Republicans ambivalent about movement, while most Democrats oppose it  —  PRINCETON, NJ — As Washington braces for another budget showdown, this time with the threat of defunding the new healthcare law in the mix, the key political force pushing …

Americans Reject by 61% Obama Demand for Clean Debt Vote  —  Americans by a 2-to-1 ratio disagree with President Barack Obama's contention that Congress should raise the U.S. debt limit without conditions.  —  Instead, 61 percent say that it's “right to require spending cuts when the debt ceiling …

Now Revealed by Stripper: Booker's Twitter Messages  —  Mayor Cory A. Booker has a high schooler's affinity for Twitter, reveling in its ceaseless flow of affirmation and infinite space for self-promotion.  —  But the occasional perils of his reliance on the social media service became evident …

How Obamacare may be holding down costs  —  The historic slowdown in health-care costs is continuing.  Earlier this month, the government's actuaries found that total national health spending continues to grow at the lowest rate we've ever seen.  And our annual employer health benefits survey released …

Iran's Leader, Denouncing Holocaust, Stirs Dispute  —  WASHINGTON — As he conducts a high-profile good-will visit to New York this week, Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, says he is bringing a simple message of peace and friendship.  But on Wednesday, Mr. Rouhani set off a political storm …

D.C.'s Obamacare fail: Prices won't work until November  —  Just days away from launch, the District of Columbia's health marketplace is announcing a pretty significant delay.  —  While the D.C. Health Link will launch a Web site on October 1, shoppers will not have access to the their premium prices until mid-November.

Let ObamaCare Collapse  —  Congress can't kill the entitlement state.  Only the American people can.  —  What the GOP's Defund-ObamaCare Caucus is failing to see is that ObamaCare is no longer just ObamaCare.  It is about something that is beyond the reach of a congressional vote.

Jim DeMint, Congressional Republicans' Shadow Speaker  —  When Congress adjourned for its August recess this year, most members avoided the town hall meetings that were once the standard venue for hearing from constituents.  They were too afraid.  Ever since activists opposed …

David Gilmour on Building Strong Stomachs  —  Shelf Esteem is a weekly measure of the books on the shelves of writers, editors, and other word lovers, as told to Emily M. Keeler.  This week's shelf belongs to David Gilmour, whose most recent novel, Extraordinary, appears on the Giller longlist.

The Most Ridiculous Moments In Ted Cruz's Phony Filibuster (VIDEO)  —  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) put forth a challenge Wednesday to members of the media covering his 21-hour non-filibuster to protest funding for Obamacare.  —  “So I'm gonna make a request directly to those reporters who are covering …