Joe Lieberman: “I will speak about it and put it in a larger context. We all know that the trust that people have in Congress is at a…”

“I will speak about it and put it in a larger context. We all know that the trust that people have in Congress is at a low point. I don't know that it is a historic low point, but it is a lot lower than anyone wants it to be, both for the national interest and out of a sense of pride we have in the service we attempt to give. The reasons for the low level of public trust and confidence in Members of Congress and, more to the point, in Congress as an institution are more than one. One of the significant reasons for the low level of confidence in Congress is the partisanship that has divided this institution and, too often, made it impossible to do anything for the people who sent us here, who gave us the privilege of coming here to serve them. Partisanship is one part of the lack of esteem and trust the public has in us. A second part is the public's doubt about the ethics of Members of Congress and the process we have for judging our ethics. Scandal after scandal unfolded last year.”