On The Other Hand: They Are Just This Stupid.

OK, via the much criticized TPM (so Kudos!)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) were caught on a hot mic Wednesday night while discussing their party's messaging on the government shutdown.
Paul ran into McConnell, who was wired for an interview, in front of a camera after wrapping his own interview with CNN, according to Western Kentucky news station WPSD.
"I just did CNN and I just go over and over again 'We're willing to compromise, we're willing to negotiate.' I think -- I don't think they poll tested 'we won't negotiate.' I think it's awful for them to say that over and over again," Paul said of the Obama administration's stance on the shutdown.

In other words: Strategery.  But the funniest part of the Hot Mic incident is this. McConnell is sincerely puzzled by the fact that what the Democrats say and do publicly reflects their actual private interactions as well:

"Yeah, I do too, and I just came back from that two hour meeting with them, and that was basically the same view privately as it was publicly," McConnell said.

 In other words these guys are so used to lying to everyone, every chance they get, they can't wrap their head around an actual principled stance or one that is not taken purely opportunistically, and for show.

Meanwhile, whistling in the dark:

In the video recording, Paul was confident that the GOP's pivot from demanding Obamacare be defunded to seeking out compromise would succeed.
"I think if we keep saying 'We wanted to defund it. We fought for that but now we're willing to compromise on this,' I think they can't -- we're gonna, I think -- well I know we don't want to be here, but we're gonna win this I think," he said.

This time for sure.