It seems increasingly obvious to me that our leaders in Washington, DC learned nothing from the November elections. And this is no surprise, because routinely the victors (no matter the party) will over-read the mandate from the electorate.

In my opinion, the voters weren’t expressing an opinion that was extremely political. In my view it’s hard to believe that independent voters would sway roughly 30 points in 2 years and that sway be based on and ideological basis. How could they go from favoring a progressive agenda to a tea-party agenda in 24 months? It’s just not realistic.

Instead, I believe that the voters in 2008 and 2010 were sending a clear message that they are tired of business as usual in Washington. They want action. They want our leaders to figure out how to solve the big issues facing the country. They want less bickering and more work. It was a message less about politics and more about being tired of politics as usual.

The Democrats didn’t get that in 2008. They forged ahead with their agenda and failed to seek consensus. Sure, they got through a massive agenda, but at a cost. They lost the voters.

Here’s a great example of missed opportunities. Over the summer the Republicans seemed willing to go for a compromise on extending the Bush tax cuts. House Minority Leader John Boehner said he would go along with Obama’s plan to extend the cuts for the middle class and exclude the wealthiest from those breaks if that was the only way to get a deal done. If only the Democrats had been willing to seek compromise then. Instead they refused and pushed ahead with their agenda.

Now, five months later when the Republicans have the upper hand, that tax compromise seems out of reach. I imagine there are quite a few Democratic strategists who are kicking themselves right now.

But, the Democrats aren’t the only ones at fault here. Yes, the Republicans won big on November 2nd, but I don’t believe that was a mandate for a tea-party backed agenda. Again, the voters were asking for action from a different Washington that actually works together.

Rather than seek a common ground on tax cuts, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the fiscal commission, and the START Treaty, the Republicans are throwing up roadblocks. Never mind that the voters overwhelming support repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (Pew Research Poll shows 58% of Americans favor ending DADT). Never mind that public polls show that a majority of Americans don’t favor extending the tax cuts for the wealthy (CBS Poll: 53% support middle class tax cuts; 26% support tax cuts for the wealthy). Never mind that our country desperately needs leaders willing to make tough decisions about spending and taxes to right our financial house. Never mind that the voters want an end to unnecessary bickering and political games.

Instead, a majority of our leaders in both parties are playing to the base to save their political hides and avoid nasty primary battles. They’re playing to cable news and talk radio audiences while the middle is left out.

And keep in mind, we are only four weeks removed from the last election. The gridlock is likely to only get worse as we near a presidential election. Buckle in folks as the political brawling has just begun. If you expected a change in the way Washington works after this past election, I’m afraid you are going to be sorely disappointed.