12. Everyone Thinks a Deal Is in Sight, but No One Knows What It Will Be

In this article by Tim Alberta and Michael Catalini, reporters at the National Journal, the two take on the pending matters of the reopening of the federal government and the progress being made to raise the debt ceiling. The duo begins by stating that although there is evident progress towards both the crises of debt and of the shutdown of the government, it is still hard to tell what will be the outcome of this situation. They state that when seemingly approached with a short term deal, the White House has been thrown rounds of different proposals, all with the similar purpose to the get government back up and functioning, while also raising the debt ceiling. The White House has been working to come up with a presentable deal to propose to the House Republicans. The sentiment which surrounds this affair is quoted from Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. who stated, "If there's any sanity left, it will all be over soon." The House appears to be leaning towards a more short-term solution, asking the White House to concede to several of its medicare type taxes before it can be re-opened. This attack on the Medicare system is highlighted when they quote a Republican leadership aide, "Obviously any framework on a large agreement must include the real drivers of our debts and deficits, including the president's health-care law." The duo continues by showing the arguments on the other side of the Republican party, this time looking at those in the Senate. There further offers have been articulated, yet all involve cut backs to the full dispensation of Obama's health care law. They finally finish the article by pointing out that although several of these propositions have a constructive affect on the nation, the President does not show that he endorses any specific deal, thus carrying on the affair until state and federal government agree on some proposal.

Although this article relies heavily on speculation and on probability, it did not shed light on much. This informative article merely stated the position in which the different parts of the American government are taking, informing the reader of the recent propositions made to bring back a working federal government. The tone of the article is serious and deliberate, the authors get straight to the point in telling the reader of the current change in events which has occurred during the last few days at the White House. Furthermore, the image used in the article is effective for it shows the direct consequences which have come up because of the temporary shut down of the government. The image portrays what the President and Republicans are trying to work out by showing the affect this debate has had on the nation through the depiction of the closed down White House. The article does have a flow to it, for the most part, as the authors follow a set thesis throughout the article. This flow is broken at points when the authors become wordy and are extensive in their descriptions. The article relies heavily on quotes from different representatives involved in the ongoing collaboration between the President and the House Republicans. The authors also use a lot of information from interviews and facts which are not new to the reader who has been following the series of events surrounding the shut down government. The end of the article is a little lacking because it is abrupt, not showing much change but only speculations of what may come. The vocabulary used in the article is simple, allowing the reader to read the article clearly and get meaning out of it, yet it conveys a lot of information which shows uncertainty and may not further the knowledge of the reader in the present conflict between state and federal government.            

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/everyone-thinks-a-deal-is-in-sight-but-no-one-knows-what-it-will-be/280527/