Congress In 2011: The Nation's Worst Ever?

Yes, Congress has been epically bad. How bad? It is rounding off the year with a historically low 11 percent approval rating, the lowest figure ever achieved in a Gallup poll asking the same question since 1974 (a span which includes some pretty horrendous Congresses).

But here, alas, are our champions of ineptitude: The five biggest Congressional losers of 2011.

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5. Blackberry Camera phones and Sexting

Investors and consumers dumping RIM like a bad habit? Sure, blame the iPhone, but Blackberry cell phones proved certifiably poisonous to Congressional careers. The frankly antiquated device's low-grade camera brought the issue of "sexting" to Capitol Hill, felling Representatives' careers this year like the Hammer of Thor.

The least of former Congressman David Wu's alleged sins.

The "Most Bizarre" award goes to former Oregon Democratic Rep. David Wu, who first hit the world's radar after relative Congressional anonymity as "the guy in the Tigger suit." His reportedly erratic behavior, Tigger suit and all, in 2010 was followed by allegations of sexual misconduct that eventually bounced him out of office on Aug. 3.

Somewhere between a tiger costume and Narcissus lies former Republican Congressman Chris Lee of New York, who was caught flirting with a woman who posted a personal ad on Craigslist. "Flirting," in this instance, being defined as "lying about your job, age, and marital status, then taking off your shirt in front of a mirror, flexing your guns and cracking off a shirtless photo and clicking 'Send.'"

Lee resigned the same day the photo was revealed, making it the shortest-lived sex scandal of any buff Congressman to make sexual advances via vain topless photos taken in front of a mirror. But Lee's indiscretions are peanuts in comparison to the long, drawn out case of Anthony Weiner.

The liberal loudmouth of the House of Representatives began a painfully extended dive into infamy when he tweeted a photo of his crotch area in a debatably enthused state (with his Blackberry). The photo was meant to be a direct message (Twitter parlance for private) directed at 21-year-old Genette Cordova, a college student in Washington.

The New York Democrat promptly took the Tweet down, passed it off as the work of a hacker then crossed his fingers. But the permanency of the tempestuous internet had already disseminated the photo.

This is one of the tamer bits revealed during Anthony Weiner's sex scandal

In the ensuing weeks, Weiner twisted himself into linguistic and logical pretzels, categorically denying the photo was of him, then saying he could not make the claim with "certitude." A deluge of other photos, entire explicit conversations and other women emerged, before the Democrat infamously stood prostrate before the nation and apologized to anyone willing to listen.

The damage had been done, and within a week the former champion of healthcare reform and reliable guest on the TV punditry circuit resigned.