So here we are, a month into another partisan stalemate that has effectively brought Congress and much of the federal government to a grinding halt.

From the beginning, both parties were eager to set this up as a test of wills designed to score political points and force the other party to capitulate. No great principles are involved, or for that matter no policy differences that couldn’t be resolved in a day of good-faith negotiation.

Like just about everything else in Washington these days, it’s all about winning, not governing.

Now that the shutdown threatens to disrupt lives other than those of federal employees, there are reports of various ideas to break the stalemate: A meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders. Talks between the Senate Republican leader and a

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