“Hell if I know,” Republican strategist Ana Navarro said when asked if using a shutdown as leverage was off the table for the GOP. “I think [Texas Republican Sen. Ted] Cruz’ credibility and power of persuasion on his colleagues has taken a hit from this experience. In the short term, he’s going to have a hard time talking people onto a limb. But until the government is able to agree on a longterm solution to address the underlying problems with our budget and debt ceiling, they will be used in some way or another as a negotiating tool.”…

“In politics, a plan beats no plan every time, and for the post-shutdown message battle we need a communications plan that runs deeper than ‘Fire two broadsides and board ‘em in the smoke,’” Wilson wrote.

Twelve days later, with some polls bearing out his fears, Wilson is still looking for his party to figure out what it’s doing and do it. “The House leadership couldn’t play poker with a gun to their heads,” he said.

“This turned into everyone swimming in the pool with a turd. Everyone is getting some nasty on them, but someone is going to be holding the sumbitch when the whistle blows,” he said. “No one will be covered in glory.”