Last Tuesday’s off-year elections have altered the shutdown fight, just not in the way many on Capitol Hill had hoped.

Heading into last week, lawmakers on both sides had felt glimmers of optimism that they were on a path to dissolving the budget impasse. Centrist senators in both parties were negotiating over a potential spending compromise, and observers predicted that the Nov. 4 elections would grease the skids for a quick reopening of the government.

Just the opposite happened.

After Tuesday’s blue wave, Democrats feel they have the political winds at their backs, which has empowered them to dig in on their demand that health care subsidies be a part of any deal to end the shutdown.

Congressional Republicans are digging in, as well, insisting they won’t negotiate over health care,

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