I’m not quite sure why so many liberals are spluttering with rage over the Republicans’ failure to go along with their stimulus ideas. It’s not as though Republicans kept it from passing the House, or can keep it from passing the Senate. And if opposition is as politically suicidal as a lot of liberals are also saying–see the Toles cartoon today–it seems like it’s a win-win situation for liberals.

Team Obama reportedly has believed that opposition is politically high-risk for Republicans and that this alleged fact would cause some Republicans, particularly in the Senate, to back the stimulus bill. From sounding out Republicans over the last two weeks, though, I don’t detect any great fear of opposing the stimulus. Looking at the poll data, it’s hard to say they should be afraid.