The stimulus bill that the House passed on Wednesday night is not perfect. No doubt, it includes spending projects and tax cuts that are not all that stimulus-y. But it's the only train at the station these days. So even though the Republicans had threatened to withhold their votes from the bill, it was sort of surprising that not a single GOPer voted for the bill. In essence, the House GOPers are betting the farm on further economic collapse. They are truly selling short.

The House Republicans are now on record as wannabe obstructionists. They say they will continue to play a role in the bill when the House and Senate negotiate the final legislation after the Senate approves its version of the measure. But the House Republicans have lost any claim of authorship. If the stimulus package has any positive results, the GOPers will be out in the cold. President Obama and Democrats will not be shy about reminding voters that the Republicans were the Party of No when it came time to save the economy. The Rs can only hope--politically--that no good comes from this stimulus.

Most, if not all, of the House Republicans will probably not face much electoral trouble for their thumb's down. The Republicans who remain in the House generally hail from conservative districts. Call it Limbaugh Land. There are not many swing-district Republicans remaining. For the House Republicans still in their seats, voting against a spending bill will not cause them much direct political risk back home. But this collective, lockstep action does define the entire Republican Party. And GOPers running for office in non-Limbaugh areas--and that will include presidential candidates in the future--will have this albatross around their neck. (For his part, Obama ought to reconsider his approach to bipartisan politics.)

Tip O'Neill once famously said that all politics is local. That may be true. But even if these House members have scored points in their districts by opposing the stimulus, they are tainting their party's national image. They now have no choice but to root for the economy to continue its collapse. Then they can blame Obama and the Dems for making things worse (or not making them better) and wasteful spending. That's not much of a political strategy. But they've decided to stay off the bus--and wish for the bus to go flying off a cliff.

STEVE CLEMONS AND ME. Did I die? Clemons writes something of an obit for me at his blog. Seriously, it's very nice. And, yes, that's my ear next to Ben Affleck. I prefer the photo in front of the White House.

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