Really, Free Money! er, No Deal!

From The New York Times:

$100 Rebate: Rise and Fall of G.O.P. Idea
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and CARL HULSE

WASHINGTON, May 4 — Senate Republicans were frantic. Returning from a two-week recess that had been dominated by a spike in gasoline prices — and heading into a midterm election looking increasingly good for Democrats — they began scrambling for ways to calm angry voters.
...
But the idea, part of a larger eight-point plan, fell flat. It was ridiculed by consumers and scorned by fellow Republicans in and out of Congress, including some of the seven senators who, like Mr. Thune, had stood beside Mr. Frist to announce it.

"I never was in favor of that," Mr. Thune said Thursday. "We all got out there and tried to put our best face on it."

So let me get this straight. Said Mr. Thune stood behind and seemingly pretended to favor the idea until it became clear that the public saw through its stupidity?! Two-party political system -- the end is nigh!