The House of Representatives just passed a bill approving the Keystone pipeline, the controversial oil pipeline that environmentalists say would be "game over for the climate." What does this vote mean? It means that Congress loves to waste everyone's fucking time.

This is the ninth(!) time that the House has passed this bill since 2011. Now it goes to the Senate. Woo, looks like a close battle in the Senate! Will it pass? Won't it pass? Who gives a shit? Barack Obama is almost certain to veto it and then it will be dead, because he is waiting on the outcome of various government reviews of Keystone to (hopefully) provide him with a plausible reason to (hopefully) not approve this fucking thing once and for all.

So why is Congress going to all this trouble now? This entire charade is happening just so that Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, who faces a runoff election with the well-funded Republican Bill Cassidy next month, can go home to the voters of Louisiana and say: look, I made Congress pass the Keystone pipeline! Just now! For you! Jobs! Blergh!

Landrieu is almost certain to lose the runoff even with this meaningless and time-consuming political stunt on her side! So this is really all for nothing.

Our democratically elected leaders are working tirelessly to represent the interests of you, the people.

[Photo: AP]