JD FOSTER: Buckle Up, America. The Shutdown Fight Appears To Be Far From Over.

Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said on Sunday the shutdown could end this week if only “Republicans come to the negotiating table on health care subsidies.”

In other words, if Republicans would just behave themselves and cave to Democrats’ demands, everything would be fine. Kelly was once considered a serious legislator. Now he’s just another political hack, but at least he stays on message.

Political and tactical reasons explain the shutdown entering its fourth week with no end in sight. The raw political explanation is that neither party feels enough pain to feel a need to back down.

True, a few House Republican wobblies like California’s Kevin Kiley want the House to come back for some nebulous purpose. Having already passed a clean, non-partisan short-term continuing resolution (CR), Speaker Mike Johnson is leaving House members in their districts to limit the ability of the clueless caucus to weaken the Republican position.

A few Senate Democrats likewise have broken from Great Leader Chuck Schumer, preferring to end his shutdown while continuing the fight. But, mostly, moderate Senate Democrats tow the party line as they are just scared to death of being attacked by far-left loonies.

Republicans honestly blame Democrats for the shutdown and believe the American people will agree with them, mostly. Democrats believe they are fighting the good fight and their far-left No Kings base demands they do so.

Neither side is inclined to suspend the underlying fight to reopen the government. On the contrary, both sides want this fight, and so it continues until sufficient political pain builds to produce a bipartisan chorus of “uncle, already.” Better get your Snickers bars. It could be a long wait.