Obama Confident Government Shutdown Can be Averted ... 'If We're Serious'

In a press briefing at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, President Barack Obama said, "I remain confident that if we're serious about getting something done we should be able to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown."

But the game of fiscal chicken continued Thursday morning, as Republicans and Democrats stared each other down over the deficit, the debt and the pace of unsustainable spending in Washington, D.C.

See Sunshine State News' coverage of the effects of a shutdown here and a conservative critique of Rep. Paul Ryan's budget here.