House passes doomed Republican payroll tax cut plan

The House Republicans, in fact, just did vote against a ban on insider trading by Members of Congress. More on that in a bit.

That was before they voted to pass the poison-pilled payroll tax cut extension plan, the bill that has already been declared dead by the Senate and which President Obama would veto. It passed 234-193. Fourteen Republicans and 10 Democrats crossed their respective aisles.

The Democrats offered a cagey motion-to-recommit, forcing Republicans to vote against their STOCK Act, the bill that would crack down on congressional insider trading and the bill that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor forced to be killed in committee last week. In addition to the STOCK Act, Democrats included instructions to swap in the millionaire's surtax for the pay-fors the Republicans included, most of which are targeted on working families.

Or, as one one Roll Call reporter tweeted, "That's one tough MTR. Vote against protects millionaires, insider trading, lawmaker raises & pensions." Of course Republicans voted to do all that, 244-183.

Now that they've forced us all through this massive waste of time, they've got basically 72 hours to get serious about solving this latest manufactured crisis.