In this age of whataboutism, it’s all too easy for partisans to point to the crazies among their political enemies, which conveniently gives them a justification to overlook the growing illiberalism festering within their own ranks.

Signs of life in the legislative branch are always welcome, and the move by ten Republican senators to propose an alternative to the Democrats’ pandemic-relief bill is certainly such a sign.

Republicans embraced some un­likely things in the Trump years — from bonkers conspiracy theories to the music from Cats, which alternated with the Village People’s “Macho Man” at Donald Trump’s campaign events — but the most consequential of these strange new passions is: central planning.