The Public Policy Polling results released today indicate that Congress is less popular than a parasite, but the CSM also offers this important reminder about voter responsibility for the current state of affairs:

It’s easy for the public to make members of Congress the bad guys. But we wonder if all this ridicule – along with the cynical expectation that lawmakers will probably fail to resolve the really serious budget issues they face – doesn’t on some level just let Congress off the hook? Until Americans are really willing to back the kinds of decisions they say they want Congress to make – well, the joke’s on us.

I’d add that unless/until the public actually demands candidates of the caliber of a Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt, they will continue to get the government they deserve.