WFPL.ORG 1 Hour Ago McConnell-Reid Deal Includes $3 Billion Earmark for Kentucky Project by  Phillip M. Bailey U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., A  proposal  to end the government shutdown and avoid default orchestrated by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Leader Harry Reid includes a nearly $3 billion earmark for a Kentucky project. Language in a  draft of the McConnell-Reid deal  (see page 13, section 123) provided to WFPL News shows a provision that increases funding for the massive  Olmsted Dam Lock in Paducah, Ky. , from $775 million to nearly $2.9 billion. The dam is considered an important project for the state and region in regards to water traffic along the Ohio River. AsThe Courier-Journal's James Bruggers reported in 2011, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said they needed about $2.1 billion for the locks due to "stop and go funding." Asked about the additional funding in the proposal, McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer direct...

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everybody. Tonight, the Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together around an agreement that will reopen our government and remove the threat of default from our economy. The Senate has now voted to approve this agreement, and Democrats and Republicans in the House still have an important vote to take, but I want to thank the leaders of both parties for getting us to this point. Once this agreement arrives on my desk, I will sign it immediately. We'll begin reopening our government immediately, and we can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people. I'll have more to say about this tomorrow. And I've got some thoughts about how we can move forward in the remainder of the year and stay focused on the job at hand, because there is a lot of work ahead of us, including our need to earn back the trust of the American people that has been lost over the last few weeks. And we can begi...

Republicans voting Yes, or the ones that let us down! Alexander, Tenn.; Ayotte, N.H.; Barrasso, Wyo.; Blunt, Mo.; Boozman, Ark.; Burr, N.C.; Chambliss, Ga.; Chiesa, N.J.; Coats, Ind.; Cochran, Miss.; Collins, Maine; Corker, Tenn.; Fischer, Neb.; Flake, Ariz.; Graham, S.C.; Hatch, Utah; Hoeven, N.D.; Isakson, Ga.; Johanns, Neb.; Kirk, Ill.; McCain, Ariz.; McConnell, Ky.; Moran, Kan.; Murkowski, Alaska; Portman, Ohio; Thune, S.D.; Wicker, Miss. Republicans voting No, or who stood our ground! Coburn, Okla.; Cornyn, Texas; Crapo, Idaho; Cruz, Texas; Enzi, Wyo.; Grassley, Iowa; Heller, Nev.; Johnson, Wis.; Lee, Utah; Paul, Ky.; Risch, Idaho; Roberts, Kan.; Rubio, Fla.; Scott, S.C.; Sessions, Ala.; Shelby, Ala.; Toomey, Pa.; Vitter, La. John Hames

 TAMMYBRUCE.COM 4 Hours Ago Parks Chief: I Discussed Closing Monuments With White House Never before, in any of the government shutdowns, has the National Park Service felt the need to close our national monuments. But now, under Obama, it suddenly became necessary. Recall IRS officials never got an actual order from Obama to target Tea Party, but  they were "acutely aware" of his attitude  and approach which guided their decision-making. In other words, covert as opposed to overt, orders from Obama. This is why the presidency matters– it models behavior and sends signals about the Federal attitude. At best, Obama is encouraging the worst in federal workers. At worst, he's approving the unleashing of their Inner Gestapo. Video via  RCP . Story via  Politico . National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis took responsibility Wednesday for closing monuments and memorials on the National Mall as part of the government shutdown — a decision that House Oversight and...

 PAT DOLLARD YOUNG AMERICANS 21 Minutes Ago Reid/McConnell Announce Total GOP Cave On Shutdown, Debt Limit – GOP Gets Nothing In Return by  Chuck Biscuits Oct 16, 2013 Chuck Biscuits Excerpted from  The Washington Examiner :  Top senators struck a deal Wednesday to reopen the government and extend the federal government's borrowing authority into next year and both sides of the Capitol are hoping for quick action to reassure nervous financial markets eyeing a Thursday deadline set by the Treasury Department. "The compromise we reached will provide our economy with the stability it desperately needs," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said after he and his GOP counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell, struck the deal. For Republicans, the deal was more about getting an embarrassing couple of weeks behind them than in being able to claim victory in a deal that they felt compelled to make. "It's my hope that today we can put some of those most urgent issues behind us,...

 TOWNHALL.COM 4 Hours Ago Whoa: Administration Needlessly Furloughed Thousands of Intelligence Workers During Shutdown It looks like the partial shutdown will come to a close in a few hours, but  this story  from  McClatchy  is stunning. That the Obama White House and its Statist deputies have been hell-bent on making things as " difficult as possible " for average people in the hopes of gaining a political advantage is not news. They barricaded open-air  war memorials  and a  9/11 remembrance site  for goodness sake. They refused to agree to  piecemeal bills  that would have restored funding to things like pediatric cancer treatments at NIH. Their conduct was dishonorable and cynical. We now know that was also dangerous. While they were plotting their pain-infliction strategy, administration officials recklessly decided to furlough thousands of America's... intelligence analysts , charged with keeping the country safe. Under pressu...

 IJREVIEW.COM 4 Hours Ago Voting Irregularities Reported in Booker Lonegan U.S. Senate Race Soopermexican On October 16, 2013 http://soopermexican.com The Lonegan campaign is reporting that they're hearing from voters in Conservative districts of New Jersey that voting locations are closing down, opening late, and that voters who weren't sent a "write-in" ballot are being forced to submit provisional voting ballots. COULD NOT VOTE TODAY! My voting loc. closed minutes before arrival – smell of gas. No back-up plans.  #fail @Lonegan   pic.twitter.com/r1FOzXDbhv — Suzy&Scout4Lonegan (@scout_nj)  October 16, 2013 At 8:25A we were told that a polling place in Morris Co was closed & voters turned away. Plz contact us if U were turned away.  #NJSen   #TCOT — LoneganforNewJersey (@LoneganForNJ)  October 16, 2013 From the  @LoneganForNJ staff account: We are seeking to confirm reports of voting irregularities in Morristown & possibly 1 other lo...

The Republican Party Embraces Irrelevance October 16, 2013 Windows Media BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, there's so much out there that seems on the surface to be inexplicable.  The problem in this country, as a majority of people recognize, I mean, look at this poll here.  Look at this.  It is a poll from the Pew Research Center.  The bottom line: 81% of the people in this country are dissatisfied.  Eighty-one percent are dissatisfied.  Do you think they're dissatisfied with Ted Cruz?  Do you think they're dissatisfied with the Tea Party?  Do you think they're dissatisfied with the opposition to Barack Obama?  The Republican Party obviously thinks so, but that is tantamount insanity.  "A new poll shows more frustration with Washington over the government shutdown and risk of default, with the number of people satisfied with the state of the country plummeting to the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis. Only 14 perc...

 REDSTATE 5 Hours Ago Anti-UAW Workers File NLRB Charges Over VW Union's Coercive Statements By:  LaborUnionReport  ( Diary ) | October 16th, 2013 at 01:30 PM | RESIZE: AAA Four Volkwagen employees opposed to being unionized by the United Auto Workers in Tennessee have filed an unfair labor practice charge against Volkswagen management for coercing them into accepting union representation. According to a National Right to Work Foundation  press release : The charge comes after senior VW management in Germany stated, according to recent media reports, that for any expanded production to be considered in Chattanooga, the plant must adopt a works council that would force workers to accept the representation of UAW union officials. Since last summer, officials with VW's German union have threatened in the media  that, if VW's Chattanooga employees do  not have representation on VW's Works Council, expansion of the Tennessee plant would be in jeopardy. Under Ger...