memeorandum: Obama blames Republican ‘obsession’ for government shutdown (Roberta Rampton/Reuters)

4:50 PM ET, October 3, 2013

Top Items:

Attempt to Ram White House Gate Ends With Female Suspect Dead … An attempt to ram the White House gates ended with shots fired at the U.S. Capitol, senators put under lockdown and a female suspect dead, sources told ABC News. — A Capitol police officer was also reported shot, sources said.

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

Jake Sherman / Politico:

Capitol lockdown lifted after shots fired — The U.S. Capitol and adjacent buildings were locked down Thursday afternoon, after multiple gun shots were fired on Capitol Hill. — Capitol Police have advised House and Senate employees to “shelter in place” and move away from and lock doors and windows.

Discussion: CBS DC, CNN, The Week and Outside the Beltway

Michael O'Brien / NBC Politics:

U.S. Capitol placed on lockdown — The United States Capitol was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon following reports of shots fired in the vicinity of the chamber. At least one Capitol Police officer was injured. — The FBI was responding to the unconfirmed reports of shots, and a helicopter landed in front of the Capitol.

Discussion: Twitchy, The Jawa Report, Crooks and Liars, WJLA-TV, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, First Read, msnbc.com, WND, Shakesville and Guardian

Fox News:

Shots fired near Capitol after car chase starting at White House — Shots were fired outside the U.S. Capitol after a car chase that started when a woman tried to ram a security barrier near the White House, putting the Hill temporarily on lockdown in a chaotic scene Thursday afternoon.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, WJLA-TV, The Lonely Conservative and The Right Scoop

Emily Goodin / The Hill:
House Republican reports being assaulted outside the Capitol

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

New York Times:
Gunshots at Capitol; Lockdown Now Lifted

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Ridgewood-Glen Rock Patch News

Jewel Samad / ABC News:
LIVE UPDATES: Shots Fired At The Capitol

Discussion: CNN

Washington Post:
Shots fired at Capitol

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Associated Press: SHOTS OUTSIDE CAPITOL, POLICE SAY 1 INJURY

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Out of ideas, House GOP considers Hail Mary — BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CONGRESS BARACK OBAMA OBAMACARE PAUL RYAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPUBLICAN PARTY HARRY REID JOHN BOEHNER DAVE CAMP GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN — As the partial government shutdown enters its third day, many House Republicans …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Mediaite, Power Line, JustOneMinute, National Review, Betsy's Page and Hot Air

Manu Raju / Politico:

Ted Cruz blasted by angry GOP colleagues — Ted Cruz faced a barrage of hostile questions Wednesday from angry GOP senators, who lashed the Texas tea party freshman for helping prompt a government shutdown crisis without a strategy to end it. — At a closed-door lunch meeting …

Brian Beutler / Salon:

The right's new lie about its shutdown intentions — If Ted Cruz is making John Boehner dance like a marionette, then Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., is the guy helping Cruz keep the strings untangled. — He's the author of the House's version of the famous letter insisting that Republicans …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Plum Line

Charles Babington / Associated Press:
Politically Safe Lawmakers See No Shutdown Urgency

Discussion: Politico and Associated Press

Roberta Rampton / Reuters:
Obama blames Republican ‘obsession’ for government shutdown

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Telegraph

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:
Cantor suggests ‘clean’ continuing resolution wouldn't pass House

Discussion: Politico and The Fix

Debra J. Saunders / San Francisco Chronicle:
GOP lemmings - in their suicide vests

Discussion: CNN and The Reaction

CBS News:

Poll: Americans not happy about shutdown; more blame GOP — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — On day three of the partial government shutdown, a new CBS News poll reveals that a large majority of Americans disapprove of the shutdown and more are blaming Republicans than President Obama and the Democrats for it.

Discussion: Washington Wire, Outside the Beltway, The Moderate Voice, National Review, Talking Points Memo, CBS New York, The Hinterland Gazette, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, First Read, Connecting.the.Dots, Hot Air, Gawker, Daily Kos, Politico and WHNT-TV

Mark Segraves / nbcwashington.com:

Congressman Confronts Park Ranger Over Closed WWII Memorial — Conflict over the responsibility for the government shutdown got personal at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Wednesday when a member of Congress confronted a U.S. Park Service Ranger over access to the closed park land.

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, DCist, msnbc.com, Daily Kos, The Raw Story, Boing Boing, NPR, Taegan Goddard's …, Senator Ted Cruz, The PJ Tatler, The Gateway Pundit and Talking Points Memo

Neetzan Zimmerman / Gawker:
GOP Congressman Makes Park Ranger Apologize for Shutdown

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and msnbc.com

David Freedlander / The Daily Beast:

GOP Donors Revolt Against Republican-Led Government Shutdown — 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.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Washington Post

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Government shutdown: Why many Republicans have no reason to deal — The prevailing wisdom ahead of the government shutdown was that tea party lawmakers who agitated for it would fold within a few days, once they got an earful from angry constituents and felt the sting of bad headlines.

Discussion: The Plum Line, Washington Monthly, Brains and Eggs and The Hill

Josh Israel / ThinkProgress: House Republican Admits To Donors: GOP Had To Shut Down The Government To Please The Tea Party

Jessica Taylor / msnbc.com:
Leave us out of it! — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie listens …

Discussion: New York Times and First Read

New York Times:

Boehner Tells Republicans He Won't Let the Nation Default — WASHINGTON — With a budget deal still elusive and a deadline approaching on raising the debt ceiling, Speaker John A. Boehner has told colleagues that he is determined to prevent a federal default and is willing to pass a measure through …

Discussion: Washington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Plum Line, Daily Kos, Slate, Taegan Goddard's …, Talking Points Memo, BBC, NPR and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Josh Barro / Business Insider:
Conservatives Are Angry Because They Have No Idea What They Want

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Mediaite and Ross Douthat

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
GOP stands firm against funding bill, will link to debt ceiling fight

Mason Stevenson / WPSD Local 6:

Live mic catches Senators McConnell and Paul talking strategy — WASHINGTON, D.C. - WPSD Local 6 got an inside glimpse Wednesday night to how much the government shutdown is about the messaging for congressional lawmakers. — After finishing an interview with CNN, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul ran …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Crooks and Liars, BuzzFeed, PoliticusUSA, The Hinterland Gazette, Taegan Goddard's … and Gawker

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
McConnell, Rand Paul Caught On Hot Mic Talking Shutdown Strategy (VIDEO)

Discussion: Political Capital and No More Mister Nice Blog

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Coburn challenges McConnell on ‘leadership vacuum’

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

New York Times:

Millions of Poor Are Left Uncovered by Health Law — A sweeping national effort to extend health coverage to millions of Americans will leave out two-thirds of the poor blacks and single mothers and more than half of the low-wage workers who do not have insurance, the very kinds of people …

Discussion: American Prospect, The Big Picture, First Read, The Hugh Hewitt Show, theGrio, Gawker, ThinkProgress, The Raw Story, Prairie Weather, Hullabaloo and The Dish

Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:

Congressman Mansplains The Shutdown To CNN Anchor: 'You're Beautiful But You Need To Be Honest' — CNN's Carol Costello confronted Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) over his party's continued crusade against Obamacare Thursday morning, pushing him to admit that Republicans' “divisive approach” …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Gawker

Hadas Gold / Politico:
GOP rep. to CNN host: 'You're beautiful, but ...'

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Mediaite and Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

The Atlantic Online:

The Republican Hardliners Aren't Conservatives, They're Radicals — The legislators driving the direction of the GOP aren't interested in smart, limited government. They're aiming to eviscerate even the parts that work well. — In their third iteration of shutdown poker …

Discussion: A plain blog about politics