Top Links: Sequestration Eve and all through the House not a deal was stirring, except maybe to grouse

Top Story: One shopping day until sequestration hits. What happens Friday? That’s a very good question.

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• “Absent a deal, sequester must begin by 11:59 pm tomorrow.” (Ezra Klein)

• “Lawmakers and aides say they do not expect Congress to turn off budget sequestration before April and that negotiations to freeze the automatic spending cuts could drag into May or beyond.” (The Hill)

• “Two operational steps to #sequester: Sometime tomorrow, Obama must issue executive order, officially calling for the sequester.” (Chad Pergram)

• “2nd step to #sequester tomorrow: OMB must then alert agencies and federal departments how much each must cut.” (Chad Pergram)

• “Speaking of the sequester, is my reading of this right? Two alternatives will fail Thurs in Senate, then a showy WH mtg on Friday?” Yes, it is. (Robert Costa)

• “Rise up, Oh God, and save us from ourselves.”- Senate Chaplain Rev Barry Black this morning in his prayer to avoid sequester. (Craig Melvin)

• “Tea Party, failed assumptions, failed Grand Bargains, and ’14 politics explain how we got into this sequester mess.” (Mark Murray)

• “Silver Linings Playbook: Both parties understand letting the sequester hit has its advantages.” (Jonathan Weisman)

• “Wow. Jobless claims down to 344K from 366K. Definite downward trend. Wonder what if anything #sequester will do to that.” (Ben White)