“We’re not going to be disrespected, We have to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is.”

— Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), quoted by the Washington Examiner, on the government shutdown.

Speaker John Boehner “emerged from White House talks on Wednesday to say that President Barack Obama again refused to negotiate with them to end a government shutdown,” Reuters reports.

It doesn’t sound like there’s anyone to bargain with, grand or otherwise.

Robert Costa: “House Republicans tell me that Speaker John Boehner wants to craft a ‘grand bargain’ on fiscal issues as part of the debt-limit deliberations, and during a series of meetings on Wednesday, he urged colleagues to stick with him.”

Big caveat: “What’s not being discussed: increased taxes or revenues. From what I hear, this combined deal is being softly and informally sold to members; Wednesday’s talks were abotu gradually getting them engaged in the prospect. And it’s all about what the GOP could win – there’s little about what they’ll give in return.”

Wall Street Journal: “Republicans fear that their negotiating position is weakening headed into the debt ceiling fight.”

“As the shutdown stretches on, a bloc of moderate House Republicans could be the key to reopening government,” Roll Call reports.

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) “held meetings with groups of ‘pragmatist’ lawmakers — as Michael Grimm (R-NY) described them — who want to pass a policy-rider-free continuing resolution and end the government shutdown as soon as possible.”

“Grimm said the group was ‘spit-balling some ideas’ on how to pass a CR that would fund the entire government, but he indicated that any plan would probably require a number of centrists to join Democrats in voting down a routine procedural motion in an attempt to seize control of the debate and the House floor.”

A previous rebellion by GOP moderates fizzled.

President Obama told CNBC that while political gridlock is nothing new, “this time I think Wall Street should be concerned.”

Said Obama: “When you have a situation in which a faction is willing to default on U.S. obligations, then we are in trouble.”

He added: “I am exasperated with the idea that unless I say that 20 million people, ‘you can’t have health insurance, they will not reopen the government.’ That is irresponsible. If we get into the habit where one party is allowed to extort, … then any president who comes after me we be unable to govern effectively.”

“In the hours since the government shut down, House Republicans have slowly but steadily been coming forward to say they’re ready to pass a bill to fund the government with no strings attached,” Huffington Post reports.

“As of Wednesday afternoon, the number of those Republicans hit 18 — surpassing the magic 17 votes needed to pass a clean funding bill if all 200 Democrats stick together and team up with them. Of course, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) would have to be willing to put that bill on the floor in the first place. But if he did, the votes appear to be there for passage, at which point the bill would sail through the Senate and be signed by President Barack Obama, ending the shutdown.”

“Cruz said he would deliver the votes and he didn’t deliver any Democratic votes. He pushed House Republicans into traffic and wandered away.”

— Grover Norquist, in an interview with Ezra Klein, saying Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) got in the way of House Republicans in dealing with government funding.

Jonathan Chait: “Boehner does not seem to share his party’s sociopathic embrace of hostage tactics. Boehner resembles William H. Macy’s character in Fargo, who concocts a simple plan to have his wife kidnapped and skim the proceeds, failing to think a step forward about what happens once she’s actually seized by violent criminals. He doesn’t intend for her to be harmed, but also has no ability to control the plan once he’s set it in motion. In the end, Boehner’s Speakership is likely to end up in the wood chipper, anyway.”

Robert Costa explains the latest GOP thinking over at Reddit:

“Most of the conference is well aware of the consequences of default. In fact, over the past few years, the House GOP leadership has actually hosted private meetings for members about what default means and why it shouldn’t happen. But, at the same time, Republicans are very eager to get some kind of 2011-esque concession from the White House and Senate Democrats on the budget, when they were able to pass legislation that led to sequestration. Of course, the political climate then was different, due to the GOP having recently won the House, but the GOP is hoping for a similar outcome this time, and you have leaders like Paul Ryan publicly talking about a larger agreement being possible. I’m still skeptical though, since most Republicans are unwilling, at all, to bend on taxes, and Democrats aren’t exactly scrambling to cut a big deal with Boehner, who they think is in a weakened position.”

“There’s a reason for their optimism, even if it is eventually proven to be unrealistic optimism. They look back at 2011 (think Woodward, Price of Politics) and they were able to get sequestration. They think, if they play their cards right, they can do the same w/ CR and debt limit this month. But the prob is that 2011 was a different political climate than fall 2013; GOP had just won House, Obama was on ropes. Now, instead of being in constant talks w/ WH a la 2011, the GOP civil war is a public spectacle, which hurts their ability to make similar fiscal demands.”

Jon Stewart is having too much fun with the government shutdown.

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