Well, the big question now is, what will the House do? If they balk, it would seem two options remain: 14th Amendment and clean bill. The White House has ruled out one of these. As you'll notice, I don't see much else out there today -- although there is terrific news on the health-care front. Here's today's Morning EDition:
TODAY
- The Senate is expected to vote on a bill cutting spending and raising the debt ceiling.
BUDGET
- The bill of the deal.
- The deal's first cuts.
- White House fact sheet on the deal.
- Speaker Boehner (R-OH): "It's all spending cuts."
- But did Boehner trick his own members again, this time by saying the deal blocks tax hikes?
- If so, it seems to have worked.
- Boehner's PowerPoint.
- In the House, right and left could unite to kill the bill.
- House Dem Leader Pelosi (D-CA) says bill might not win any Dem votes in the House.
- Could Democrats therefore get blamed for the deal going down?
- House Dems still cling to the 14th.
- White House confirms jobless were thrown to the curb.
- And even on the professed goal of spending reduction, the gains are minimal.
- Wall St. applauds. After losing $680 billion last week. (And then goes down again. Maybe read the deal?)
- Wall St. investment-firm CEO does not applaud.
- Economists say the deal will hurt America.
- Nat. Journal reports Medicare would get cut by $300 billion (sub. req'd.)
- Grover Norquist approves.
- It's not like any politicians got helped, either.
- Well, maybe one. A majority leader? No? A Democrat? Of course not.
- And White House calls it a victory, in email to allies.
- Greg Sargent rounds up some assessments of Obama's performance, few of them good.
- The Obama mistakes that got us here.
- Flashback: Obama ignored, rejected or didn't understand the warnings.
- Krugman.
- National Review.
- Analysis: GOP didn't have to threaten default to get these cuts.
- Kevin Drum argues that the automatic cuts are already a sure thing.
- Don't call it a compromise.
- Yglesias: Why shouldn't we expect Obama to fold in the next spending showdown this deal creates?
- The deal sets up more showdowns in November and December.
- Congressional Black Caucus Chair Emanuel Cleaver on the "Satan sandwich."
- Democrats can still tank this deal.
- House Rules Committee could take up debt-ceiling deal today.
- Mitt Romney weighs in, now that it's easy to do so.
- Heritage still doesn't like the deal.
- Our political insanity may accomplish what default would have.
- VIDEO: President Obama announces the deal.
- VIDEO: Gene Sperling defends the deal.
ECONOMY
- Consumer expectations hit two-year low.
- Government cuts hurt the economy last quarter.
- Poll: Americans see America's decline.
HEALTH CARE
- Insurers will have to start covering birth control and other preventive services for women.
- Florida has