What did we learn yesterday in Massachusetts? I guess many things about the feeling of the American people. When you take a look at the polls, it is interesting. It is not as if it is a very partisan feeling among most Americans. They are not happy with either political party, when it comes right down to it, and if given a third-party choice, a lot of folks tend to move in that direction. It reflects a number of feelings. The first is, we have a weak economy and a lot of people unemployed and there is a lot of uncertainty. I think that has created anxiety, if not anger. I think also it is an issue about whether this Congress and this administration can respond to the issues that count, that matter in people's lives, and do it in a timely fashion. There is a frustration that many of the issues we take up seem to take forever, and most of them take forever right here in this room because the Senate was designed to slow things down and sometimes bring them to a halt. That is even adding to the frustration and maybe the anger across America.
Editor's note · Context
Senator Durbin discusses public sentiment following the Massachusetts election and concerns about the economy and government responsiveness.
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