House Speaker John Boehner told his caucus Tuesday that Democrats would probably “win” the political battle if the government shuts down on Friday. “The Democrats think they benefit from a government shutdown. I agree,” Boehner said—and several of his colleagues who were there for the 1995 shutdown backed him up. Still, Boehner made little progress with the White House and Senate Democrats at an 80-minute meeting; he is said to have demanded $40 billion in cuts, a $7 billion hike from the $33 billion they had been discussing.
