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A lot of recent reporting on sequestration and expiring government funding legislation reflects the notion that a government shutdown is more or less off the table — that because the White House doesn’t want one and Republican leaders don’t want one, a ’95 style shutdown isn’t a real possibility.

Both of those things are true. Several key players in this negotiation would like to avoid a shutdown. But as we’ve been trying to reinforce in our reporting, that doesn’t settle the question. Read More