Senate and House conservatives are huddling with tax and fiscal groups Wednesday to map a strategy to block Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid from shutting down the government before the election–and blaming Republicans.

“The goal is to take the shutdown cudgel out of Reid’s hands by settling the government funding for the rest of the year,” said a source familiar with the meeting of conservative leaders including Tea Party leader Sen. Jim DeMint and Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan and outside groups like Americans for Tax Reform and the Heritage Foundation.