Frustration with the partisan impasse in Washington is at record highs — but that doesn't mean the gridlock is going to end anytime soon. Why? For one thing, it's unlikely that next year's midterm elections will shift the balance of power in Congress, and before those elections roll around, lawmakers are likely to shift from the business of legislating toward show votes and posturing for election season. Another reason the gridlock will still continue? President Barack Obama will still be president, and hopes are dim that his toxic relationship with the GOP will improve. Plus, Congress' bipartisan achievements lately have been few and far between — and quite modest, like the recent limited debt agreement. Possibly the biggest bipartisan breakthrough this year came with the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill — but the House won't touch it, at least not intact.
