So you don’t have to, I’m watching the House debate on the Democrats’ middle-class-only tax bill.

In an exchange with Rep. Dave Camp (R., Mich.), Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) just made a frank admission. Camp said the House was wasting its time debating a tax bill that will be a dead letter in the Senate. Hoyer replied (and I’m quoting from memory, so it may not be exact) that passing the bill is necessary so that the Senate has “a vehicle” for “whatever compromise is ultimately going to be necessary” in the Senate.

The word on the Hill is that that compromise will consist of a temporary extension of all current tax rates. Hoyer seems to be obliquely admitting that, and thus admitting that this vote is just a political show.