Article snippet: Most popular on bostonglobe.com Based on what you've read recently, you might be interested in theses stories WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain has seen his fair share of dysfunction over the past three decades. Government shutdowns, filibusters of nominees – and a Congress with so few fans that, as he has been joking since at least 2006, “We’re down to blood relatives and paid staffers.” But when he went to the Senate floor Tuesday to deliver an emotional speech with a powerful punch, he had a more pointed message. “We’re getting nothing done, my friends,” he said. “We’re. Getting. Nothing. Done.” He’s right. The Republican-controlled Congress is in a tailspin of unproductivity, and that’s even before the Senate GOP’s failure last week to pass a long-promised repeal of the Affordable Care Act. By almost every objective measure — especially compared with 2009, the last time one party had control of the White House and both congressional chambers — it is off to a dismal start. Not only have lawmakers been unable to notch major accomplishments on health care or tax reform, but there are also fewer votes, fewer nominees confirmed, and fewer bills passed, according to a Globe review of congressional records of previous eras when the same party controlled the House, Senate, and White House. Today’s members of Congress are generally just not as active as their predecessors, according to another key measure. Through June, there were 9,247 pages of proceedings... Link to the full article to read more