It’s just a shame that American taxpayers are caught in the political crossfire.

U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) talked about that Wednesday as she addressed business leaders at the Pike County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast.

Sharing her frustration at the public criticism of the “do-nothing Congress,” Roby squarely pointed at Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as the bottleneck.

And when asked if she suspected a conversation had taken place between Reid and President Barack Obama, encouraging the Majority Leader to stall bills and measures, she deftly avoided a direct answer, but left the audience with no doubt she was suspicous.

Sadly, there may be a grain of truth in that suspicion. Moreover, there is no doubt the political posturing and gamesmanship that pervades Washington far exceeds the imagination of the average American taxpayer.

And that’s a shame.

We believe our Founding Fathers expected to create a nation based on honest government, accountability and effectiveness. Somewhere along the line, politics and the quest for power have overshadowed the will to serve.

And the result? A “do-nothing Congress” where difficult budget decisions are avoided and partisan politics are the rule of the day. We all know the only way to change the culture is through the ballot box.