SNOWE, COLLINS ALREADY VOTED SELVES OUT OF GOP.

TPM catches Michael Steele talking about moderates and Arlen Specter. The Republican chairman suggests that Specter left the party, not the other way around:

"That vote on the stimulus bill was the effectiveness of a party call," he said. "That was a stand-up moment for every Republican. ... And so, you voted yourself out of the party. We didn't kick you out."

Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, who also voted for the stimulus, will be informed later today by RNC officials that they are no longer Republicans.* No doubt the news will relieve Snowe.

Even better are Steele's comments that moderates are welcome to join the GOP, but they shouldn't expect anything about the party to change. Hopefully, town clerks around the country are prepared to handle the rush of independents looking to register as Republicans.

-- Tim Fernholz

*This sentence is not, unfortunately, true.