The new Marist Poll came out today - results here - and the numbers are devastating. There's no upside here for anyone. Democrats and republicans are damaging the very fabric of government.

Who's to blame?

When it comes to pointing a finger at who’s to blame for the current Senate fiasco, voters divide. 38% say it’s the Democrats while 39% put the onus on the Republicans. 23% are unsure. Not surprisingly, majorities within both the Democratic and Republican parties blame their rival party. Non-enrolled voters divide. Breaking down the numbers by region, a plurality of voters in New York City — 47% — blames the Republicans. A plurality in the suburbs — 46% — points a finger at the Democrats. Upstate voters divide with 40% blaming the Republicans and 37% blaming the Democrats.

How is the Senate performing?

65% of New York State registered voters say the job the New York State Senate in Albany is doing is a poor one. Just 11% of the state’s electorate says the legislative body is doing either an excellent or good job. And, while Democrats and Republicans may not agree about their overall political ideas, they do agree that the Senate’s performance is shoddy. 64% of Democrats and 66% of Republicans view the Senate’s performance as poor. 67% of non-enrolled voters agree.

Long-term effects:

Looking down the road, 61% of the New York State electorate believes the Senate will be less effective in the future as a result of the current battle in the chamber. 31%, however, believe the body will be more effective. 61% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans view the impact on the Senate’s future actions as negative while 66% of non-enrolled voters concur.

The Senators need to wake up and realize that at this point, it's not about control, power or their member items anymore. It's about the institutions of the state and the legislative body they serve in.

Update: a reader emails and points out another key data point: A whopping 84% of registered voters report that, from what they have heard, the situation is nothing more than a political power play. In fact, just 12% view the wrangling as a serious effort to bring reform to Albany. Considering that the "Bipartisan reform coalition" or whatever the Espadaites are calling themselves these days derive their sole justification for overturning an election from claims to reform, that's devastating.