Regardless of whether they have been in office for a few months or a few decades, our congressmen and women can find their way around Washington DC. Yet nearly all of them, veteran and neophyte alike, seem unable to find that elusive place called compromise.

The public fiasco over raising the nation’s debt limit continues with only moderate progress being made, even as the Aug. 2 deadline looms.

Up to this point we’ve basically seen lots of grandstanding, rhetoric, finger-pointing, temper tantrums and other generally bad behavior that most of us wouldn’t accept in our children and we certainly shouldn’t have to from our elected representatives.

Something has to give, both to provide the government with the needed flexibility to continue paying its bills as well as when it comes to the actions of both parties, which continues to undermine the economic growth and recovery of our nation.

Both sides are right in some ways and it continues to baffle the general public as to why are lawmakers cannot find this middle ground that will address the Republican concerns to cut spending as well as give the Democrats that debt cushion to fall back on.

Until both sides of the aisle decide to get serious and look for common bonds, this political embarrassment will just continue as the American people struggle with a down economy and even lower confidence level that our leaders are going to find the right answers.