Brinksmanship and the Blame Game

Before anyone knew for sure there would be a government shutdown at midnight tonight, Democrats and Republicans were blaming each other. At least in public, there was more talk about political fallout than there was about making a deal, with polls showing Republicans faring the worst. Meantime, the crisis atmosphere has given ideological groups and potential candidates a great chance to raise money from ardent supporters. With a few hours remaining, we look at the options for a possible settlement and at the likely consequences of halting many federal services.