Shutdown Deal Near? Tone Still Hopeful

So will the week end with a Capitol Hill deal to reopen the government and avoid a default, or at least set the stage for a weekend breakthrough? Signs of progress remain promising, but as Politico puts it, "there’s no one dancing in the West Wing end zone" just yet. For one thing, any such deal—a short-term increase of the debt ceiling, maybe?—could fall apart in a flash. For another, a White House celebration could trigger a self-defeating backlash before the deal is finalized. A key point today will come about 11am, when President Obama hosts Senate Republicans, reports the Washington Post.

In fact, much of the onus for a deal seems to be shifting toward the Senate, reports the Hill. It says GOP senators are increasingly unhappy with their House counterparts ("What planet are they on?" asks one unnamed Republican senator in the story) and are taking matters into their own hands to get the government reopened next week. "The Senate should act, OK?" says John McCain. "Then we try to coordinate with the House, but the Senate should act." (More Senate Republicans stories.)