Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Published Weekday Mornings   To see the full version of today's cartoon, click on the preview graphic of the cartoon (below the Commentary) to be taken to the full version in your favorite web browser. Ghosts In The Machine Health insurance exchange launched despite signs of serious problems President Obama Admits Web Site Flaws on Health Law Obama on health-care website: 'There's no excuse for the problems & they are being fixed.' Experts say Obamacare's drop-dead date: Thanksgiving Sebelius blamed by Republicans for healthcare.gov problems Sebelius to testify before House panel Oct. 30; Top HealthCare.gov contractors to appear before House panel on Thursday Greg Sargent: As Obamacare runs into problems, Americans still want to give it a chance Ezra Klein: The right doesn't want Obamacare fixed. But it's even worse for them if it fails. Josh Barro: You Probably Shouldn't Be Able To Keep Your Health Plan Obamacare & Ohio Under eye of Gov. Kasich, Ohio state budgetary panel votes to accept $2.56B in federal funds for Medicaid expansion Ohio Gov. Kasich Skirts Fellow Republicans to Expand Ohio Medicaid Ohio Will Expand Medicaid Under Obamacare, Extending Health Coverage To Nearly 300,000 Residents Why Are Republican Governors Finally Embracing Obamacare? They'd Like To Keep Their Jobs Shutdown Aftereffects Four Very Bad Signs For The GOP In The Latest Polls Poll: Major damage to GOP after shutdown, and broad dissatisfaction with government Greg Sargent: Outside the conservative bubble, GOP sustains epic damage from shutdown Steve Benen: Public support for GOP continues to collapse Rick Klein: GOP Shutdown Helping Build a 2014 Wave For Democrats Ed Kilgore: Signs of GOP Erosion Where They Can't Afford It USA Today/Princeton Poll: Nearly half now say replace everyone in Congress States want reimbursement for funding national parks during shutdown Jon Favreau: The Tea Party, Not Democrats or Republicans, Is the Problem Ed Kilgore: Divided They Move Right Economic Inequality Allison Linn: Food stamp benefits going down before the holidays Annie Lowery: Medicaid and the Incentive to Work Guns & America Nevada school shooting: Teacher killed, two students wounded North Carolina father charged after 2-year-old fatally shoots herself Rape In America Special prosecutor appointed for Maryville, Missouri rape probe How Elizabeth Smart Is Taking On Rape Culture Ethics & The Media Assoc. Press Fires Journalists Over Erroneous Terry McAuliffe Report Sarah Kliff: How to avoid mistakes in covering the Affordable Care Act Media Matters David Pogue Leaves The New York Times For Yahoo Netflix Hits Major Media Milestone: More Subscribers Than HBO Nations In Turmoil Diplomats meet in UK to discuss Syria crisis West pushes Syrian opposition to attend peace talks PKK threatens to renew fight in Turkey The War Over There Drone strikes killing more civilians than U.S. admits, human rights groups say Afghanistan says issues unresolved on U.S. security pact International News Brazilian oil-auction protests turn violent Australia continues to fight massive bushfires Midwest Roundup Blue Cross Neb. hires temp workers to deal with Obamacare glitches New poll has Nebraska ranked #3 state in U.S. for people in their 20s Iowa home sales and prices still climbing Iowa couple honored with national award for philanthrophy in arts Fools, Zombies, & Republicans While most of our staff no longer gets dressed up for Halloween, there are staff pets and at least one staff kid currently, and inevitably that means discussions over Halloween costumes. Frankly, no matter how good you think you or your kids' ensemble is this year, you're not going to defeat the Republican Party when it comes to hiding behind a mask. The Republican Party has at least two highly visible examples of their costumed "heroes" today, both wearing the same zombie outfit from head to toe. We're well aware that Ohio's Gov. Kasich and New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie don't exactly look like one another, let alone have the same proportions. Yet both men have played the intolerant zombie role quite well for some time now, until their masks both slipped on Monday. For Kasich, his mask has actually been slipping for some time, technically since about February. That's when Kasich - like a host of other Republican governors who initially refused the federal Medicaid expansion program that's part of the Affordable Care Act - changed his mind and decided he wanted the Federal funds. For Kasich, it's been a nine month process of putting on and taking off his masks, all with one driver behind it all - selfish greed. Admittedly, in his case, Kasich's goal to make his own record look better may end up helping the poorest in his state - that is, as long as the Republicans wearing their evil zombie costumes in the Ohio House don't win their legal challenge to prevent poor people from getting health care. In the case of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for October 22, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Marriage Equality NJ Governor Ends Gay Marriage Fight as Couples Wed NJ Gov. Christie drops gay marriage case, risking some Republican ire Republican Mega-Donors Quietly Celebrate Chris Christie's Marriage Surrender Budget Battles Treasury Sect. Jack Lew: Lesson From A Crisis Ryan Cooper: With the shutdown and debt ceiling crisis over, Washington is still stuck in the wrong conversation Dean Baker: After Budget Deal, Time For Washington to Move Forward Jobs & The Economy Sept. Jobs Numbers: U.S. economy added 148k jobs in September, jobless rate falls to 7.2% Employers in U.S. Expanded Payrolls; Jobless Numbers Lowest Since 2008 Sales of Existing Homes Declined by 1.9% in September Eugene Robinson: Our best bet is still to grow the economy, not cut it Wall Street Watch DOJ sees $13B JPMorgan penalty deal as bank settlement template J.P. Morgan Aimed to Limit Damage; Avoid Even More Harsh Penalties JPMorgan Guilty Plea Gained By Holder Shows Obama Admin's Harder Stance Toward Wall St. Wall Street Profit May Drop 37% in 2013 Bitten By Laws, Penalties, & Congress Immigration: Reform Coming? Seung Min Kim: Immigration reform groups resume fight As activists look to revive immigration reform movement, is it too late? The Spying Game French Condemn Secret Surveillance by N.S.A. Saudi spy chief says Riyadh to 'shift away from U.S.' over handling of Syria & Iran Energy, Climate & Environment Japan's nuclear cleanup effort is turning into another kind of disaster Interactive Animation: Preventing radioactive leaks at Fukushima Daiichi | Keystone XL Pipeline Could Yield $100 Billion Profit For Koch Brothers Katrina vanden Heuvel: One year after Sandy - ignoring climate change at our own peril And now, for your Weekly OK Gazette Toon preview for October 22, 2013  (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) White House Update White House Tours To Resume In November - With A Catch News From Capitol Hill Upcoming federal pay raise would be wide-reaching, but exclude Congress SCOTUS Brief SCOTUS just took a case that could affect state death penalty policies | States' online 'Amazon tax' fight may land in U.S. Supreme Court On The Left Chait: Why Liberals Admit to The ACA's Failures, While Conservatives Refuse to Concede Its Successes Paul Rosenberg: Stop enabling the right - Stop pretending conservatives are dealing with facts Stein & Grim: How President Obama and Harry Reid came together to crush GOP debt ceiling extortion On The Right Jonathan Chait: The Shutdown Was Not a Failed Strategy By Republicans. It Wasn't a Strategy at All. Taylor & Khimm: Establishment Republicans ready to roar in GOP civil war Josh Marshall: Big Business & Far Right Ideology States Of Confusion Virginia GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Cuccinelli Donated to Groups That Tell Women Abortion Causes Breast Cancer Statue of noted anti-Semite and white-supremacist to be removed from Georgia state capitol entrance | Michigan Republican Governor Snyder To Shut Down Secret Fund For Snyder Advisors, Has Yet To Reveal Donors After Kansas Slashed Mental Health Funding, Suicides In The State Jumped 30 Percent We hope you enjoy "The Daily Felltoon" every business day. Thanks for continuing to be a member! Paul Fell Shawn "Smith" Peirce Paul Fell Cartoons, Inc.