Vice President Says 'I've Never Seen It This Dysfunctional'
Vice President Joseph Biden makes remarks as he and U.S. President Barack Obama meet with a bipartisan group of Governors from across the country in the State Dining Room February 3, 2010 in Washington. Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images NEW YORK (CBS News) ― Vice President Joe Biden doesn't seem to miss his days as a senator.
In an interview with CBS "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith, Biden was blunt about the nation's political system. "Washington, right now, is broken."
Having served in the Senate for more than 30 years, Biden has seen a fair share of gridlock in Congress, but the current version is the worst ever, he said.
"I don't ever recall a time in my career where to get anything done, you needed a supermajority, 60 out of 100 senators. You can block anything with 60 (votes).
"I've never seen it this dysfunctional," he said.
In light of the surprise Republican victory by Scott Brown in the race to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's senate seat in Massachusetts, Biden said the win was not solely a warning shot to Democrats.
"I think it was to everybody in public life, and it was, 'Hey, guys, get your act together. Get something going.'"
According to a recent CBS News/New York Times poll, most Americans are dissatisfied or angry about the way things are going in Washington these days. Eight in 10 say Congress is more interested in serving the needs of special interest groups rather than the people they represent.
But only a third of people feel the same way about President Obama. Nearly 60 percent think he is more interested in serving the American people.