White House Official: “Doesn’t Really Matter” How Long Shutdown Lasts

President Obama and the Democrats repeatedly tell us that the Republican Party is the only one to blame for this shutdown, and insist that, for them, this isn’t about politics.

But check out this comment today from a senior White House official, reported in the Wall Street Journal: “Said a senior administration official: ‘We are winning…It doesn’t really matter to us’ how long the shutdown lasts ‘because what matters is the end result.'”

Such a statement perfectly represents this Administration’s refusal to come to the table and sit down in bipartisan talks with Republicans – even at the expense of a government shutdown that is grinding the country to a halt and furloughing hundreds of thousands of government workers.

From the Weekly Standard:

“Although the government shutdown continues, it appears President Barack Obama and the White House are not getting any closer to negotiating with Republicans. A quotation from an unnamed senior administration official in today’s Wall Street Journal explains why.

Said a senior administration official: “We are winning…It doesn’t really matter to us” how long the shutdown lasts “because what matters is the end result.”

“With this view, it explains why President Obama won’t agree to any piecemeal legislation that would keep Veterans Affairs and NIH open during the shutdown. And it explains why President Obama would rather cancel his Asia trip than negotiate with Republicans.

“It’s because the White House (or, at least this unnamed official) believe it is “winning” by shutting down the government and blaming Republicans. And when one’s winning, he’s not likely to change course.