America is waking up to the first federal shutdown since the mid-'90s, and the more familiar sight of Democrats and Republicans squabbling. Both sides blame each other for the shutdown—with the Dems accusing the GOP of "extortion" to delay ObamaCare and the Republicans accusing their counterparts of refusing to negotiate—but the public believes the GOP is most at fault, according to a Washington Post poll. Just 26% approve of how the congressional GOP is handling the situation, the poll found, while 34% support Democratic lawmakers and 41% approve of President Obama's approach.
- Nancy Pelosi, saying that the fight was much bigger than ObamaCare, called John Boehner and his allies "anti-government ideologues" of the kind George Washington himself had warned of, Politico reports. "This is a proxy fight for really the debate on the extent of government and that has been a debate in the history of our country," she said. "But to say no government, that’s what President Washington cautioned against."