First, the quote, from the Wall Street Journal:

Said a senior administration official: “We are winning…It doesn’t really matter to us” how long the shutdown lasts “because what matters is the end result.”

Ah, those Ascended Beings and hyper-geometric messaging geniuses over at the White House. But, alas, I cannot beat Jake Tapper’s (apparent) reaction to that line:

There's a definition of "winning" being used in DC that recalls that of Charlie Sheen

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 4, 2013

Jake would undoubtedly say, if I asked him, that he meant that comment to be directed to both sides of the DC shutdown situation; and he’s one of the few reporters out there whose demurral along those lines I would accept at face value. Which does not really detract from the fact that, yeah, there’s a lot of Tiger Blood thinking going on over at the White House right now. I’m sure that’s going to end well for them…

Moe Lane (crosspost)