HOW TO END THE SHUTDOWN

Republicans say to Democrats: Refund the government and we'll talk about reinstating the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.

Democrats say: We don't believe you. If we end the shutdown, you'll blow off the talks and nothing will happen. We don't trust you guys to bargain in good faith.

(History is on their side.)

The solution: Trump and the Republicans need to state with great clarity that they will never reinstate the subsidies for the ACA, so the Democrats might as well restart the government right away and end the pain caused by defunding SNAP (and everything else).

And that will call the Democrats' bluff.

They will be forced to realize that for the time being things will get very bad for low-income folks who need healthcare coverage. They will know their work is cut out for them. They will understand they'll have to take control of both houses of Congress and install a Democrat in the White House if they want to put the subsidies back in place.

Fortunately, the Republican stance on the ACA will make that outcome much more likely.

Democrats will have to accept that fact as the best they can do in this situation.

Will they?