Many Americans are probably asking themselves: "Hey, didn't we just vote George Bush and the Republicans out of office? Why are we now seeing Republican Congressional leaders we hadn't heard from in years all over the television and in the newspapers dictating to Barack Obama how to shape the economic stimulus package like they have real power."
Well, of course, the GOP is in vogue right now because, after their drooling over Obama during the inauguration, TV news and newspapers need to create an opposition to manufacture some tension to gin up ratings and readership. Times are tough in the media business.
But in truth, due to the rules of the Senate, the few remaining Republican Senators have much to say about what the body eventually passes. It's your basic civics.
Also deep down, Republican congressmen know that the vast American electorate is much more moderate than the Democrats think they are. The fact remains that the Democratic majority is still much more liberal the general population.
There is also a related question: Is the American public smart and sophisticated enough to swallow a fair and balanced economic stimulus plan without throwing a collective tantrum over a badly-timed purchase of some bankers corporate jet?