Arizona Sen. John McCain and other like-minded Republican senators could end up reprising roles as key deal-makers as the party seeks a final negotiated solution to the government shutdown.

No clear path to ending the impasse over spending has emerged, but in one possible deal scenario — a comprehensive agreement that also solves the problem of raising the debt limit — McCain will likely play an essential role, just as he has been in past bipartisan agreements like the immigration bill that passed the Senate last June.

With a core group of House Republicans sticking together in their chamber, and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell taking a low public profile in the fight, that leaves McCain and similar-thinking GOP senators to look for a deal…

As McConnell receded from leading the public fight, Republicans like McCain have picked up the slack.

“We have to understand that the only way we are going to repeal Obamacare is when we have 67 Republican votes in the United States Senate because that’s what’s required to override a presidential veto,” McCain told Bloomberg News on Monday.