Leon Panetta Reflects on Saying — In 2011 — Congressional Division Was at a Low Point: ‘It Hasn’t Gotten Any Better, That’s for Damn Sure’

Leon Panetta, a former Defense Secretary, CIA director, and member of Congress, reacted Friday to his declaration that division in Congress was at its lowest point… a statement he made in 2011.

CNN’s Erin Burnett celebrated the 10th anniversary of her show OutFront on Friday night, and after speaking with Panetta about the Democratic negotiations in Congress, she looked back on an interview she did with the then-Defense Secretary on her first show.

Ten years ago, in the middle of the Obama administration, Burnett asked Panetta, “You’ve been a Republican. You’ve served in Republican administrations, Democratic administrations. Is this the worst it’s ever been in Washington?”

“In my over 40 years in Washington,” 2011 Panetta said, “I’ve never seen it as bad as it is today on the partisanship and the divisions within the leadership within both parties. And the inability to kind of confront the challenges that are out there.”

Oh, for the days when 2011 seemed like the worst it could get.

Burnett dryly remarked, “It was an innocent time.” She played the clip and asked Panetta his thoughts on it ouw.

Panetta, who laughed a bit at his younger self, said, “It hasn’t gotten any better. That’s for damn sure.”

“I think it’s gotten more dysfunctional. And when you see that, you know, one party is struggling to try to do legislation, the other party’s just sitting on the sidelines, throwing rocks. It is undermining the ability of our democracy to function the way it should. And that needs to change,” he added.

You can watch the video above, via CNN.