Michael Barbaro

What they see as an ironclad promise that Senate Republicans will vote on renewing Affordable Care Act subsidies, which perhaps they don't think Republicans will, but that would put Republicans on record as not doing it.

I think we just have to explain this, Katie, because most of us imagine that Congress is this very top-down place.

where decisions come from upon high.

But what you're describing is a handful of Senate Democrats a little bit going seemingly rogue and reaching a deal to try to end the shutdown with Republicans, and the leadership of the Senate Democrats is not really involved.

And I think this was the moment that the vast majority of us, myself included, got clued in on Sunday night just in time for a news conference in which this small group of Democrats goes up to the microphone and tries to explain why they're doing what they're doing and why, in a sense, they have gone around the rest of their Democratic caucus.

Can you just talk to us about what they said?

And yet, as we could tell from what was happening on the floor of the Senate on Sunday night, the vast majority of their Democratic colleagues disagree with them.

Which means that the entire rest of the Democratic caucus voted no.

Nothing.

They didn't get anything.

This is the same deal that Senator John Thune said a majority leader.

Democrats had overwhelming victories.

We'll be right back.

Shane, thank you for being here.

Thanks for having me on.

The last time you were in the studio... Less than one week ago.

Less than one week ago, election night, and you came on...

to observe what an extraordinary moment of triumph it was for Democrats.

And now, less than a week later, the Democrats are screaming at each other, and resounding victory at the polls has yielded to claims, as Katie just said, of capitulation, betrayal, caving.

What a difference a week makes.