NY Mag - "Chambers of Doom: Is This the Worst Congress Ever?" - The Historically Bad 112th Congress!

[TomCADem]

Is it just a coincidence that some of the worst Congress's in recent history coincide with periods where the Republican party has been dominated by far right ideologues or Republican Speakers. Perhaps this Congress will manage to break the record for passing the fewest laws or just generally doing nothing but vote on symbolic bills like the Grover Norquist Constitutional Amendment to require all taxes to be passed with a 2/3 majority.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/07/worst_congresses.html

No less an authority than congressional scholar Norman Ornstein, who literally wrote the book on Hill dysfunction, has taken to calling our disaster-courting 112th Congress the worst in history. Here, how its accomplishments stack up against famously awful sessions of yore.

The Ball-Dropping 112th (2011-2013)
Where to start? With GOP freshmen and assorted long-serving right-wingers in open revolt, House gridlock has gone from merely frustrating to outright scary—and meanwhile, the Senate is so far voting only half as often as it did during the last maddeningly bottlenecked session. Some post offices have been renamed, though.

Ye Olde Widely Reviled 46th (1879-1881)
In an era rife with heated conflicts over some very fundamental issues—what rights black people should have, what to use as currency, a disputed presidential election—more senators were booted in 1880 than in any year since.
Percentage of incumbent senators reelected in 2010: 83%
Percentage of incumbent senators reelected in 1880: 53%

The Useless 104th (1995-1997)
This chapter of Newt Gingrich’s Republican revolution is best remembered for the 21-day government shutdown of 1995-1996, but these legislators also managed to pass the fewest laws of any Congress since World War II.
Laws passed by the 104th: 1,834
Laws passed by the 1949-1951 81st (the most active postwar Congress): 5,764

[The Magistrate]

1. It Deserves the All-Time Title, Sir

Most of the Republicans in Congress could with justice be termed 'enemy combatants', and dealt with as enemies of the United States ought to be dealt with....

[KharmaTrain]

2. If Democrats Can't Run On This "Record"...

...the party deserves to suffer. Unfortunately so many feel legislating is a bad thing...it's easier to campaign and play partisan games. And things aren't about to get any better. I doubt there'll be a budget passed this year and that this well intentioned job program will languish as well. This is gridlock and a deliberate plan by the rushpublicans to paralyze government at a time when people need it the most. Sadly there's plenty out there who don't see this game being played and prefer to blame the administration. If you want a more Progressive/liberal administration then it starts with more liberal and progressive Congresscritters.

[TomCADem]

4. The Democrats Deserve To Suffer? John Boehner Is A Republican, Not A Democrat

John Boehner can't even control his caucas, because he keeps on getting backstabbed by Eric Cantor, who is vying to run for speaker. On the list, Newt Gingrich's House is listed among the worst Congresses due to the low number of bills passed, yet I can't imagine that John Boehner has done any better. At least Newt Gingrich was trying to accomplish something although most of it is bad. This Congress appears to revel in the fact that they are doing absolutely nothing.

The Democrats have repeatedly tagged Republicans as the "Just Say No" party with President Obama famously asking "Can they say yes to anything," yet the corporate media continues play the false equivalency card and suggest that Democrats are somehow equally at fault. Sadly, we see this on DU, with posts saying that Democrats deserve to suffer for such inaction, thus giving Republicans a free pass.

This is why it is so hard to make progress. The American people, including many liberals, are conditioned by the corporate media to blame Democrats and give Republicans a free pass. By any measure, the 112th Congress is among the worst in history given that the House nearly brought about the first ever default, yet many continue to blame Democrats and President Obama. Thus, even though the OP nails the current Congress, which coincidentally has a Republican speaker, some will still insist that Democrats and President Obama are at fault, and that Democrats "deserve" to suffer.

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. K&R

[mmonk]

5. They officially ride the Crazy Train.

[TomCADem]

6. It Is The Story That The Corporate Media Is Ignoring, Thus Liberals Do So As Well...

...We would like to think that as liberals, we are immune to the corporate media narrative. Yet, the unprecedented actions of Congress, lead by extreme right wing Republicans, is hiding in plain sight. A record breaking number of filibusters. A blatant refusal to confirm appointees for the express purpose of crippling agencies like the Consumer Protection Agency. Yet, the focus and blame continues to be the President.

Where is the accountability of Congress? The corporate media continues to run inteference for a historically terrible Congress.