memeorandum: Miriam Carey, identified Capitol Hill car chase driver, was taken for mental-health evaluation (CBS News)

3:55 PM ET, October 5, 2013

Top Items:

David Weigel / Slate:

How Democrats Got a Spine — The Republican Party taught them how to be uncompromising. — It's easy to forget, but this year began with a nick-of-time congressional compromise. At the 11th hour, with Washington's supply of clichés nearly depleted, the House and Senate approved a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Taylor Marsh, The Mahablog and No More Mister Nice Blog

New York Times:

Boehner Urges G.O.P. Unity in ‘Epic Battle’ — WASHINGTON — With his troops anxious for a way forward, Speaker John A. Boehner began a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Friday morning with a recitation of letters from local schoolchildren on how they deal with stress.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Prairie Weather, Mediaite, Gawker, PoliticusUSA, Liberaland, Talking Points Memo, The Monkey Cage and Taegan Goddard's …

Cameron Joseph / The Hill:

GOP finds its shutdown message — Republicans are seeking to paint Democrats as the “party of no” to help dig themselves out of a hole on the government shutdown. — The effort is aimed at softening the political blow of the shutdown while buying Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) time to figure out an end game.

Discussion: Prairie Weather, The Reaction, New York Times, Talking Points Memo and Taegan Goddard's …

Fox News:

Democrats say House vote for back pay shows GOP wants government to stay closed — FILE: October 3, 2013: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor after a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.REUTERS — The Republican-led House passed a bill Saturday to give thousands …

Discussion: protein wisdom and BizPac Review

Associated Press:
Parties Race to Use Shutdown for 2014 Leverage

Discussion: CNN, Politico, Associated Press and Weasel Zippers

Marc A. Thiessen / Washington Post:
The Seinfeld shutdown

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and Ed Driscoll

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Dems plan discharge petition to force vote on ending shutdown

Discussion: Politico, The PJ Tatler and Liberaland

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:

NBC: Police Remove Vietnam War Veterans at Memorial Wall — Via William Jacobson, NBC's affiliate in Washington, D.C. reports that police ordered tourists and Vietnam war veterans who were visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to leave the memorial at one point on Friday.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

nbcwashington.com:

Closure of War Memorials Continues to Cause Conflict — The closure of D.C.'s war memorials continues to be a source of contention for tourists and law enforcement officials. — Like the hundreds of World War II veterans who came to National Mall to pay their respects this week …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, The Right Scoop and CBS DC

Mark Steyn / National Review:
Shutdown Simulacrum

Discussion: BizPac Review, NO QUARTER USA NET, Ed Driscoll, Hot Air and Weekly Standard

Mike Flynn / BREITBART.COM:
FEDS TRY TO CLOSE THE OCEAN BECAUSE OF SHUTDOWN

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, The Strata-Sphere, protein wisdom, The PJ Tatler, Conservatives4Palin, Hit & Run and National Review

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

In an Upside-Down Week, Some Conservatives Find Favor for Government — WASHINGTON — Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a hard-core leader of House conservatives who helped force a government shutdown in a fight over the scope of federal health care spending, sent out a statement …

Discussion: PoliticusUSA

Michael C. Bender / Bloomberg:
Tea Party's Ross Says Debt Worth Yielding on Obamacare

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Associated Press, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo and Political Capital

Carlo Munoz / The Hill:

Police: Man on fire at National Mall dies — A man who set himself ablaze on the National Mall Friday has died of his injuries, according to authorities. — The individual passed away shortly before 9pm on Friday at a local hospital, a D.C. police spokesman told The Hill on Saturday.

Discussion: ABC News

Mila Mimica / nbcwashington.com:
Man Found With Burns on Nat'l Mall in Critical Condition

Discussion: NY Daily News, NBCNews, The Gateway Pundit, The Agonist and The Raw Story

ThinkProgress:

Federal Judge Smacks House Republican For Demanding Exemption From Republican Shutdown — Countless lawsuits where the United States is a party are now in limbo, thanks to the fact that the Justice Department lacks the resources to litigate them so long as the government is shut down.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette and The Raw Story

Julie Pace / Associated Press:

OBAMA TO PUBLIC: DON'T GIVE UP ON HEALTH SIGN-UPS — WASHINGTON (AP) — Defending the shaky rollout of his health care law, President Barack Obama said frustrated Americans “definitely shouldn't give up” on the problem-plagued program now at the heart of his dispute with Republicans over reopening the federal government.

Discussion: Associated Press, Post Politics, NBCNews and Taegan Goddard's …

Carlo Munoz / The Hill:
Obama open to Redskins name change

Discussion: Politico

defense.gov:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Statement by Secretary Hagel on the Pay Our Military Act — Today I am announcing that most DoD civilians placed on emergency furlough during the government shutdown will be asked to return to work beginning next week. — Immediately after President Obama signed …

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, NPR, New York Times, msnbc.com and Stars & Stripes

Sharon Begley / Reuters:

Analysis: IT experts question architecture of Obamacare website — (Reuters) - Days after the launch of the federal government's Obamacare website, millions of Americans looking for information on new health insurance plans were still locked out of the system even though its designers scrambled to add capacity.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:

Arizona Is Only State To Stop Welfare Checks During Shutdown — Arizona appears to be the only state to have stopped cutting welfare checks during the federal government shutodown, the Arizona Republic reported Friday. — Republican Gov. Jan Brewer's administration announced this week …

Discussion: Arizona Republic and Liberaland

Tom Tillison / BizPac Review:

Wolf Blitzer: Obamacare website shutdown ‘embarrassment for administration’ — The Obama administration quietly announced late Friday that the enrollment functions of the healthcare.gov site will be down for repairs this weekend. — The web site set up to allow people to enroll online …

Discussion: Power Line

Cathleen Decker / Los Angeles Times:

Rick Perry: California's bad on every front. Vote for me? — Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks to reporters at a news conference at the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim on Friday. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press / October 4, 2013) — Just for the record …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and The Reaction