The Senate is a Mess

First Read: “In the summer, you had a band of Republicans — McCain, Graham, Corker, Ayotte — cutting deals to end some of the gridlock to prove the institution could work. But that is over. It’s worth remembering that more than two-thirds of current senators were elected after 2000, when the political polarization in Washington truly began with the Florida recount. The Ted Kennedys, Dick Lugars, Robert Byrds are all gone.”

“And that’s a big reason for the current dysfunction in the greatest deliberative body in the world. These new senators were all elected in this polarized climate, they all succeeded during this age of political warfare, and therefore they only know that one way to win politically and that translates into the style of legislating and governing we’ve now all grown accustomed to. The leadership on both sides seems more intent on making points than keeping the tradition of the Senate being the ‘small g’ governor of Washington. And right now, this body certainly does NOT look like the great ‘cooling saucer’ of the government.”