Sen. Feinstein blames Tea Party for paralysis as Congress returns

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Tuesday bemoaned the partisanship that dominated Washington last year, claiming that that when she joined Congress in 1993, a more cooperative atmosphere prevailed.

"When I went to Congress in 1993, both sides worked through cooperation, consensus and compromise," Feinstein lamented, addressing a crowd of 120, as reported by the Orange County Register on Wednesday. "Only with compromise do you get things done."

"Somehow, compromise has become a dirty word," continued Feinstein. 

"The more you elect outliers, the more you have stasis," she concluded, making an apparent reference to the influx of Tea Party affiliated members in the last election.

Feinstein, who is the senior member of California’s congressional delegation, is expected to win reelection by a large margin later this year.