"The Empty Chamber"

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/09/100809fa_fact_packer?currentPage=all

This link is to an article that was sent to Shawn and I through Senator Voinovich's office. It's titled "The Empty Chamber: Just how broken is the Senate?". The article is definitely worth reading, especially before our meeting with Thomas Mann next week. It gives real life examples of senators letting their partisanship getting in the way of accomplishing any real work in the Senate. It even illustrates how bi-partisan dinners have become a thing of the past and how senators have lost touch with the friendship aspect of their interactions with each other. Also mentioned is some senator's frustration with the outdated rules of the Senate and how issues have to take a backseat because they are incapable of being addressed. It's a great article that gives an inside look in the inefficient way that business is handled in modern-day Congress.

-Haley & Shawn O.