The Democrat-controlled house passed their cause célèbre today—extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class while letting the most controversial piece of the 2001 and '03 package, tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (those making over $250,000) expire.  (That top bracket represents about 2.1 percent of all taxpayers. The tax breaks for the rich are worth $700 billion over ten years.)

The vote was certainly for show, as Senate Republicans will surely block the measure.

It passed 234-188.

However, local Democrats flagged the fact that U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert voted against it. Cue the sound bite, from Ryan Rodominer of the West Coast branch of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee:

Instead of giving immediate tax relief to 98 percent of middle class families and small businesses who need it the most, Representative Dave Reichert and fellow House Republicans are fighting to give tax breaks to those who need them the least. It’s outrageous that Representative Dave Reichert would vote to raise taxes on 98 percent of Americans during these tough times instead of doing everything possible to help families make ends meet and businesses to create more jobs.

We have a call in to Rep. Reichert.

In one of his final votes in Congress, U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA, 3) was one of just 20 Democrats to vote with the Republicans. We have a call in to Rep. Baird as well.

The rest of the delegation voted along party lines, although U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA, 5), who had a baby yesterday, was absent.