Here’s a funny one.

On Tuesday, a well-known senator held a conference call with progressive bloggers. He was asked if, given Joe Lieberman’s threat to join the Republican filibuster, the senator “would support using the reconciliation process to pass health care reform with a public option, which would require a mere simple majority for passage.” Here’s his reply:

Well as I have said I would consider that as a last, last, last, resort. I think that the institutional safeguard of 60 votes is a very important one. … [M]oving away from that institutional 60 votes is something I think would be a last, last, last resort. You might have to fight fire with fire when there are so many filibusters. The number is now 81. And a lot of nominations are being blocked and action is being blocked. …

On the issue of fighting fire with fire, maybe so, but I think that we are not going to come to this. I think we can muster the 60 votes and not have to face the reconciliation.

So here’s the funny part. This guy — who grumbled about the number of filibusters the Republicans have been putting on, who said “I think we can muster the 60 votes” — isn’t a Democrat. In fact, he’s Arlen Specter, of all people.

So what’s the meaning of that “I think we can muster the 60 votes”? Did he just say that he’ll vote with the Democrats for cloture?

*** Update, 7:14 a.m. ***

Ha, ha, ha, oops!

Sorry! I had a senior moment early this morning, based partly on how ThinkProgress identified Specter in their post: “Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA).”

Needless to say, my slip is much more embarrassing than theirs.