On the recordMarch 30, 2011
as the country watches, we continue to work toward a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to keep the country running. Let me update the Senate on where we stand. I want everyone to know how things looked from the beginning, but also let's talk about how they look right now from the negotiating table. Much of the criticism in this process has come from people who are not even sitting at the negotiating table. I am, and so is Speaker Boehner. I am glad he has returned to the conversation. It is obvious he has a difficult situation on his hands, and I do not envy him in that regard. He is getting a lot of pressure from the tea party folks to dig in his heels even if it hurts and destroys the recovery we have going now. What is worse, the country does not care much about the tea party. There is a new CNN poll out today that says this very directly. Let's put it this way: The people who care about the tea party are a very small number--who care about them positively. Those who think about them negatively is very high, more than 50 percent. And that does not mean 50 percent favor the tea party. It does not. Fifty percent of the American people do not want anything to do with the tea party. Only a small percentage identify with the tea party. The interesting thing and I think the important thing to the country is that the tea party's unpopularity continues to grow because the American people see how unreasonable they are.…
