Law professor Ann Althouse says it all. The vote went 61-37, with two Democrats voting no and six Republicans voting yes: Orrin Hatch, Dick Lugar, George Voinovich, and … Collins, Snowe, and Specter.

Ed wrote about the constitutional objections a few days ago. I have a hunch the Supremes are going to drive a stake through its heart when it finally gets there — Kennedy is more reliable on questions of government structure than on questions of rights — but in the meantime I’m more interested in people’s ideas for addressing the District’s legitimate grievance. Taxation without representation is un-American to the core; they deserve either the vote or a tax amnesty, or maybe something else. One creative option would have Congress recognize them as the 51st state, although that would require two seats in the Senate, too. Another creative idea from NRO:

An option to grant Washingtonians a voice in the House, without requiring the high demands of a constitutional amendment, already exists: retrocession. Just as Virginia absorbed a chunk of the District in 1846, Maryland could take in large sections of it now. Let Maryland’s political establishment, including Democratic governor Martin O’Malley and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, explain why this is not acceptable.

Let’s do what D.C. would do: Vote on it!