Vice President Joe Biden says "Washington right now is broken" and the country is in "deep trouble" unless it attacks ballooning federal deficits.

Asked about the political climate across the country, Biden said in a nationally broadcast interview that "we understand why they're angry. ... We get it."

Speaking of intense partisanship in the capital, Biden said on CBS's "The Early Show" that "I've never seen it this dysfunctional." He said the message coming from the stunning Republican upset in the recent Massachusetts election was, 'Hey guys, get your act together. Get something going.'"

Bayh also said federal stimulus money has been creating jobs.

"Hoosiers are very skeptical about government spending in general, and in many cases rightfully so," he said. "A little bit of skepticism when it comes to government spending is probably in order."

But, he said, payroll tax cuts gave money back to millions of workers, and $2 billion in stimulus money to the state helped prevent thousands of teacher layoffs in Indiana and massive tax increases.

Stimulus-funded construction activity is beginning, too, and that's a good thing, Bayh said.

"Some of the stuff that didn't kick in for another two, three, four years, frankly, that probably shouldn't have been in there," he said. "But you don't get to vote on perfect legislation. ... There were some good things in there."

Bayh lauded the $416 million in stimulus money seven companies will receive to build green energy facilities and stressed the importance of construction around the state.