WAITING TO HEAR FROM PROPONENTS OF THE "SENSIBLE CENTER" ... UH, STILL WAITING ...

As you may already know, according to the Huffington Post, Senator Arlen Specter says many Republicans refused to vote for the stimulus bill out of fear:

... "When I came back to the cloak room after coming to the agreement a week ago today," said Specter, "one of my colleagues said, 'Arlen, I'm proud of you.' My Republican colleague said, 'Arlen, I'm proud of you.' I said, 'Are you going to vote with me?' And he said, 'No, I might have a primary.' And I said, 'Well, you know very well I'm going to have a primary.'"

... "I think there are a lot of people in the Republican caucus who are glad to see this action taken without their fingerprints, without their participation," he said.

Specter was asked, How many of your colleagues?

"I think a sizable number," he said....

So of course you know what happens next: the pundits of the mainstream press will rise up as if with one voice and demand that the GOP repudiate its interest groups and its extremists. Chastened, the moderates will respond, forming groups such as the "Republican Leadership Council," which will immediately become one of the most influential organizations in American politics. RLC members and sympathizers will instantly get on the speed-dial of cable news bookers and editors of major op-ed pages. Any GOP presidential aspirant will have to make peace with the RLC if he or she hopes to have any chance of winning the nomination in 2012.

... Oh, please, who am I kidding? This was all a joke. Isn't that obvious?