Yesterday, Republicans rejected a measure that would have extended unemployment benefits and a middle-class payroll tax cut for two months and allowed Congress to recess. The GOP is widely being ridiculed for the vote. And they’re deserving of ridicule — but not for this particular vote. Though I rarely say this, I agree with John Boehner:

“It’s time to just stop, do our work, resolve the differences and extend this for one year,” Mr. Boehner said. “How can you have tax policy for two months?”

This is very true. Congress should just get their act together and pass a one-year extension. When tens of millions of Americans are hurting from the recession, I don’t see why Congress should find that difficult.

For all Boehner’s apparent earnestness, though, let’s not forget that it’s the Republicans who have held up the package in the first place, insisting that it be paid for with cuts to Medicare and unemployment benefits. That’s why they deserve our ridicule. Not for voting against a temporary extension, but for once again putting the rich above the rest of us.

The Republicans don’t believe a massive tax cut for the rich needs to be paid for. A small tax cut for the middle class, though? That must be fully paid for with benefit cuts for the middle class.