Joe Lieberman: "I don't think Congress has ever been as bad as it is today."

Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Elected to the Senate in 1988, he ran as an independent in 2006 after losing Connecticut's Democratic primary. He spoke at the Dec. 13 Monitor breakfast in Washington.

Why public approval of Congress is so low:

"Because I don't think Congress has ever been as bad as it is today. Here is a time of very serious, painful economic hardship ... and a debt that is threatening our future, national debt, and we really haven't done anything about it."

Whether members of Congress are using non-public information for personal financial gain:

"I don't have any evidence that there is insider trading by members of Congress.... A lot of people around the country ... think there is.... It is very important that Congress make clear with legislative action that members of Congress ... are covered by insider-trading laws."

President Obama's response to Iran's capture of an American spy drone:

"I wish that we had found a way to at least go in and destroy it.... It would have been very difficult to rescue it.... I say that with humility because I wasn't in the [White House] Situation Room...."

US policy toward Iran:

"I don't think we have done enough to support regime change. It needs to be done artfully because it is not one of those cases where we want to go in and start endorsing opposition" candidates.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich saying the Palestinians are an "invented" people:

"To me, the important fact is, the Palestinians are a people today and any resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has to be between two peoples, two nations."

Calls for the Transportation Security Administration to create passenger advocates at airports to deal with complaints about searches:

"It is worth thinking about, but I am not jumping to endorse it.... I am an admirer of TSA."