Budget Crisis Fallout: What's the Damage?

Government workers are returning. The United States will continue to pay its bills. The President says there are no winners and that all Americans lost. Polls show Republicans and the Tea-Party dropping in public opinion, while the Affordable Care Act has gained some popularity. Did the President and the Democrats really win? Will there be a next round? What can Washington do now to regain the confidence of the American people—and the rest of the world?

In today’s speech at the White House, President Obama said the threat of default has increased America’s borrowing costs and that, “the American people’s frustration with what goes on [in Washington] has never been higher…” The President said, “those who pushed for the shutdown and threatened default claim their actions were needed… to make America strong.”