Top Links: October 7

Welcome to week two of the government shutdown.

(In case you missed it—the parody music video about the government shutdown from this weekend’s Saturday Night Live that is probably, most likely. definitely NSFW.)

• Sen. Rand Paul: President Obama is ‘irresponsible’ to talk default. “There is no reason for us to default,” he said Sunday. (Politico)
• The Supreme Court is back in action and taking on some hot button issues, including prayer in school and money in politics. (NBC News)
• The U.S. captured an al-Qaida suspect in Libya over the weekend, which the Libyan government is calling the “kidnapping of a Libyan citizen.” (NY Times)
• The federal budget crisis has actually been a plan months in the making. (NY Times)
• Sen. Ted Cruz doesn’t think he’s damaged the GOP’s reputation one bit. (Huffington Post)
• This anti-Hillary Clinton button from the California GOP convention is reprehensible. (Huffington Post)

Another weekend highlight you may have missed…