Public ire acknowledged over partisan finger-pointing | Politics | Macon.com

Members of Congress from Georgia know that the American public isn’t happy with the institution’s collective performance, and several who represent Middle Georgia are grappling with that issue.

“I am disappointed and in fact disgusted with the apparent dysfunction of Congress as an institution,” said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, who was in Macon on Monday. “I think it has to do with the partisanship and the polarization, and in order for our system to work in the way that the Founding Fathers intended for it to work, we have to be able to sit down — even though we as members may disagree on particular issues — to try to work out a consensus. Our government is a government that requires consensus.”

A series of McClatchy-Marist polls in mid-July found that only about one-third of respondents approve of congressional Democrats, while only about one-fifth approve of congressional Republicans; and President Barack Obama’s approval rating is only about twice what Republicans command.

That signals public frustration with government inaction on issues including the economy, immigration reform, the federal budget and rules for domestic surveillance programs.

Monday, The Telegraph sought to reach others who represent Middle Georgia and received emailed responses from two. U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Marietta, was unavailable for comment Monday afternoon, said Marie Gordon, his deputy press secretary.

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Moultrie, wasn’t reached directly, but Lauren Claffey, his communications director, referred to his Jan. 25 explanation of why he won’t run for a third term in 2014.

“This is about frustration, both at a lack of leadership from the White House and at the dearth of meaningful action from Congress, especially on issues that are the foundation of our nation’s economic health,” Chambliss said then. “The debt-ceiling debacle of 2011 and the recent fiscal-cliff vote showed Congress at its worst and, sadly, I don’t see the legislative gridlock and partisan posturing improving anytime soon. For our nation to be strong, for our country to prosper, we cannot continue to play politics with the American economy.”

via Public ire acknowledged over partisan finger-pointing | Politics | Macon.com.