Rather than working hard, Congress is hardly working

Democrats are in charge, so they took the heat for conducting business as usual, though Republicans were responsible for about $2 of every $5 in earmarked spending.

And Republicans seemed more interested in scoring political points than making laws, as they tied up the Senate for days on a measure to fund the federal government for the rest of the year. Republicans forced votes on more than 20 amendments, all of which were defeated.

"You'd think that Congress is living on another planet. Most Americans don't appreciate the endless bickering over how to proceed," says Paul Light, a New York University political scientist.

"Let's get on with it, and not try to find a campaign theme that will resonate two years from now," he added, "and not try to amend bills to death while the country burns."

National opinion surveys show rising approval for Congress. But Light thinks that, at least in part, that is just Obama's personal popularity rubbing off on the legislative branch.

"Right now, Congress is the impediment," he says. "The Congress needs to get serious. This is not a time for game-playing."