If you are excited about the end-game of the Debt Deal, you can follow it on Politico, which is chronicling developments breathlessly, bless their little hearts.

Here are some final items of the day:

* TNR’s Michael Schaffer has an amusing pictorial summary of extremist figures–ranging from Colonel Kurtz and Sonny Corleone to Trotsky, Mao and even the French right-wing “populist” Poujade–to which pundits have compared GOPers during the fiscal crisis. I call dibs on Stalin.

* Meanwhile, Pew shows Ted Cruz’ favorable/unfavorable ration among Tea Folk rising to 74/8, but going underwater among non-Tea GOPers.

* And speaking of the Texan, GOP consultant Alex Castellanos compares Cruz to a sex-crazed snowshoe hare, which discomfits Anderson Cooper.

* Dow predictably soars on Deal news.

* At Ten Miles Square, Colin Woodward shows that “shutdown caucus” of conservative extremists in Congress are from increasingly isolated parts of the country.

* Also at Ten Miles Square, Keith Humphreys ponders renewed evidence that government-haters don’t like government shutdowns.

And in non-political news:

* Here’s a new one: Michigan newspaper editor sues complaining readers for defaming her. But the judge threw out the suit.

That’s it for Deal Day. In a final tribute to October 16’s many anniversary events, here’s Curved Air performing “Marie Antoinette” on Belgian TV in 1972 to commemorate her beheading 220 years ago today.

YouTube video

Our ideas can save democracy... But we need your help! Donate Now!

Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.