Last day before the latest government shutdown deadline. We round up the stories, and explain the process and procedure. Greg Dworkin reports on the shutdown polling (where the questions are getting quite pointed!), and the rollout of the expected "both sides are equally to blame" meme, despite the whole thing being driven by the Gop's own civil war. Later: the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's blistering editorial, taking Missouri's Congressional Republicans to task for their callous politics and reckless hostage taking. The NYT's in-depth look at "Children and Guns: The Hidden Toll." How much impact has #GunFAIL had? Armando asks whether mandatory gun insurance holds any promise. "Lazy Beltway media infuriatingly blows debt limit 'coverage.'" Almost, but not quite: one blog argues Obama will be telling the Gop their debt ceiling demands are unconstitutional. "Is Newt Fronting for a Dubious PAC?" asks Mother Jones. The answer, as always, is yes. It's. What. He. Does.
