Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and fellow Kentucky Republican, Senator Rand Paul, were caught on tape chatting candidly about strategy for the shutdown. After finishing an interview with CNN, Paul approached McConnell, who was waiting for another interview, not realizing the microphone was on and the tape rolling. Listen carefully.

Sen. Rand Paul: “Do you have a second?”

Sen. Mitch McConnell: “I’m all wired up here, um.”

Sen. Rand Paul: “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.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell: “Yeah, I do, too. And I just came back from a two-hour meeting with them, and that was — that was basically the same view privately as it was publicly.”

Sen. Rand Paul: “I think if we keep saying we wanted to defund it, we fought for that, and that we’re willing to compromise on this, I think they can’t — we’re going to — we, I think — well, I know we don’t want to be here, but we’re going to win this, I think.”

McConnell is in a tight race in his home state of Kentucky.