It seems that Congress has never been more unpopular than it is right now.

Almost a year after it first convened, the 112th Congress has, in the eyes of most Americans, made virtually no progress towards solving our nation’s problems. Most of the days the House and Senate have been in session this year have been dominated by gridlock and bickering instead of harmony and cooperation.

The last few weeks have been no exception.

For instance, Republicans have stubbornly refused to allow the U.S. Senate to vote on Richard Cordray, President Obama’s choice to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Without a permanent director, the bureau cannot exercise much of the authority granted to it under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act – which means it cannot do its job of protecting American families.

Only a few years ago, with the backing of their amen corner on Fox, Senate Republicans insisted that George W. Bush’s nominees be given an “up or down vote.” But they’ve changed their tune now that a Democrat is in the White House. They are now unapologetically obstructionist.

In addition to blocking Cordray’s nomination, Republicans are holding up many judicial nominations – like that of Caitlin Halligan, who President Obama tapped to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit more than a year ago. Halligan’s nomination, along with many others, remains in limbo because Republicans refuse to permit it to come up for a vote. There are now so many court vacancies that the quality of court proceedings in many areas of the country – particularly the southwest – is suffering. Judges are resorting to putting civil cases on hold so they can get through criminal cases. And it seems there is no help in sight.

When he campaigns for re-election next year, President Obama is sure to make our “do-nothing” Republican Congress his foil. (Republicans have outright control of the House, and de facto control of the Senate, thanks to the threat of the filibuster).

But he won’t be the only one telling the story of how the Party of No refused to work with him to advance the common good and strengthen our common wealth. Democratic congressional candidates like Elizabeth Warren will also be telling that story as they campaign against Republican incumbents like Scott Brown.

November 2012 is nearly a year away, but already Warren – who came up with the idea for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and took the lead in putting it together — has moved ahead of Brown in the polls. And this has Republicans rattled. Karl Rove’s “Crossroads GPS” front has lately been buying up airtime in Massachusetts media markets to air completely dishonest attack ads.

At first, Rove and his operatives tried to paint Warren as sympathetic to the Occupy movement. But apparently that didn’t work, because incredulously, their newest ads try to tie Warren to Wall Street. That’s right, Wall Street. Never mind that Wall Street can’t stand Warren and will likely spend huge sums opposing her candidacy.

The sleazy attack ads Rove is orchestrating against Warren are just the beginning. Rove’s operation and others like it plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars next year putting falsehoods and innuendo about Democratic candidates across the country on television and in mailboxes – including Jay Inslee and Maria Cantwell.

But Democrats know what Rove’s “Crossroads GPS” front is capable of, having seen it in action in 2010. So while Rove and his operatives plan more attacks, Democrats will be laying the groundwork to respond forcefully.

Unfortunately, what this portends is an unprecedented political air war and mailbox assault that will be difficult for any of us to escape.

Thanks to the Supreme Court’s “Corporations United” ruling, there are no longer limits on what an outfit like “Crossroads GPS” can raise and spend on electioneering. Even worse, they can obfuscate where they’re getting their money. The DISCLOSE Act, which was before Congress last year, would have mitigated this situation. Sadly, Republicans united against it and it never reached President Obama’s desk. It looks like we’re going to have to change Congress before we can change how we elect members of Congress.

Andrew Villeneuve, a 2005 Redmond High graduate, is the founder and executive director of the Northwest Progressive Institute, a Redmond-based grassroots organization. Villeneuve can be reached at andrew@nwprogressive.org.