On what should have been the first day of his retirement from Congress, former representative Barney Frank instead burst back onto the political scene, revealing that he had asked Governor Deval Patrick to appoint him to temporarily fill John Kerry’s Senate seat while a special election is held.
Frank said his 32 years in Congress made him especially qualified to help settle spending and entitlement fights that were pushed off several months by the New Year’s Eve fiscal cliff compromise between President Obama and congressional leaders.
Comments
By being the first openly gay Senator, this assures some place in history and feeds an ego that is never satisfied.
Nope, Tammy Baldwin already beat him to the punch: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/politics/wisconsin-tammy-baldwin-senate/index.html
I'm certainly no fan of Barney's but having him in there would make for some interesting sound bites. I'm sure he also wants to try and claim some useless glory in a 3-4 month stint. Have at it Barney and then just please go away, again.
It would take me those 3-4 months just to decipher his accent into plain English!
His accent is pretty strong. My college roommate was from Jersey, so I can probably decipher better than some.
He went to Harvard in the 1960's and then was an assistant to Kevin White, so I'm surprised he hasn't lost more of his accent.
Just stay retired Barney Frank . This country does not need another of your "plans" to save this country from another financial disaster. Try some worthwhile volunteer work to fill your need to feel useful.
I think this is a great idea. I hope the govenor appoints Barney!
didnt he do enough damage to the housing market?
I have a feeling there is something in the rules of Congress that would give Barney a huge pension boost or some other benefit. Alruism has never been his strong point.
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Yes! There is no one more well informed on national fiscal policy than Barney Frank to fill this temporary Senate seat. The last thing we need is some newbe in Washington at this critical point. I hope Patrick sees the wisdom in this.
Did you vote for newbie Elizabeth Warren? What about life inexperienced JK3? I think Barney would just alienate senators who are not big fans of left-wing Massachusetts pols anyway.
Numeral is correct. Can you imagine how unhinged Barney will be on the Senate floor? Come to think of it, maybe he's just the guy we need up there for 3 whole months.
We could do way worse than Barney Frank, even filling the entire term. Like if Scott Brown were to become interim senator again. I can just imagine what Scooter Brown would find to be the most important issue of such a campaign.
Scott was an interim Senator? When did this happen and why wasn't I told? He won an election following the appointment of an interim seat filler named Paul Kirk who was there just long enough to cause trouble. Unfortunately for many of us, Scott followed some very bad advice on his second campaign strategy.
"Unfortunately for many of us, Scott followed some very bad advice on his second campaign strategy." No actually he wasn't a popular candidate, his victory was, in fact, a fluke.
VERY BAD IDEA and detrimental toward the image of the Democrats in this state. We need to win this seat with Markey, and we don't need to tarnish the election and give Scott Brown something to talk about with Barney Frank coming back for a few months as a mouthy and cantankerous custodian. Barney Frank could only win an election within his district and nowhere else...ever. He is NOT highly regarded statewide and never was. Just as Steve Lynch could only win in his district; he's also NOT well liked statewide and should NOT run against Brown. We're better off having a relatively unknown but highly regarded person to act as a senator for just a few months just as we did after Ted Kennedy died. Someone like the late Gerry Studds comes to mind.
Any suggestions for someone with a pulse? If we are going to nominate dead guys why not just keep the late Sen. Kennedy? I seem to recall John Olver's name coming up; he would presumably not have any of Frank's baggage.
Maybe someone who's reading comprehension is greater than your's.
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barney just married a wife/(hubby?). Why doesn't he just go continue his honeymoon and stop seeking to exercise being a blowhard with Bill O'Reilly some more? Nobody needs him to bill the public for more trips to Washington, which he wanted to depart because he feared a loss to a Republican in last November's election. One thing this state doesn't need is an ancient Barney and a Granny warren sitting in the same Senate to use up votes that may not represent their constituents. Barney wants a higher debt limit... and Granny will probably try to educate the Senate into how the U.S. can avoid bandruptcy. By the way, the Glob has not reported whether Granny has resigned her Harvud Law School professorial position yet. . . Maybe she will announce it when a U.S. SJC Justice of the lady persuasion accompanies her to Roxbury Community College for a faux searing in Saturday. AFter all, Justice Kagan is another Hahvud gone astray to Washington. . . .
"Granny" Warren? Wow...how intelligent...go to the head of the class!
Barney is an excellent choice to fill the interim position!
Granny, Barney, Glob, Hahvud? Grow up.
I say go for it Deval. He knows where the senate cloakroom is and who's arms need twisting, plus he's already set his own term limit.
Good idea. Barney Frank seems to be a likable guy and a sense of humor. I don't see how anyone could dislike him as a person, even if they disagree with his politics.
Please tell me you are being sarcastic.
This is not a good idea. I agree that Barney is not that well liked statewide. Why can't we just move up the election. I just don't see this as getting us any respect.
Wrong, I LOVE him and so do many many others!
how about Deval? That way we would get a trifecta -Frank, Kerry and Patrick all gone!
FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS!!!!!! I am THRILLED. Run for the seat too, Barney. I know he does not want that but I could not think of a better person to be in the Senate while the Repubicans try to take down the country on the debt ceiling idiotic debate. Republicans are more than bad they are DISPICABLE and even treasonous. They want to subvert the country because they cannot stand that an incredibly ADEPT president Obama KILLED them twice. They got squashed in November. Every day I wake up and thank God that Mitt Romeny was trounced.
This is why it is important to keep Democrats in not only national office but most especially in state office AND importantly the governorships as well. I will thank Governor Deval Patrick if he temporarily places Barney in that seat.
I cannot WAIT for the 2014 elections. I HOPE the Democratic Parties nationally and statewide see how important it is to stay in office and MOST importantly that the electorate see that as well!!!!
I am proud to be from Massachusetts the bluest of states and HOPE the electorate elsewhere that is red turn and go blue. It will save 99% of t he country and the 1% that the Republicans represent need NO saving at all!!
Yeah, Barney. Love you and am SO happy for you. Barney in addition to being a great representative is BRILLIANT as well!!!
Feel better? Now climb down from the soap box and take your meds.
Rileysdad -- Let somebody be a little happy and excited about something once in a while. There's so little of that in the world. You probably don't agree with nrosen, and I'm certainly not emotionally involved, but there's no point in being an insulting scrooge.
It's not over 'til it's Olver.
Will not this idiot Frank just go away. Actually, most citizens off the street could probabble do a better job of running the country than the clowns currently in office.
But surely that list excludes you, doesn't it?
There are several levels of action going simultaneously in government. The media really only reports on the top layer, a superficial gloss picture of the topics. Underneath that layer is the real substance of the topics. And underneath that layer is the interpersonal and group dynamics. That layer is absolutely critical. What coalitions are important. What personality quirks are important. Barney would have a lock on both of the lower layers more than anyone else that could be put in place. Sure, he's a little less familiar with the Senate. But he knows the pond he'd be swimming in. And he'd be truly effective at advocating for positions that are consistent with the vast majority of Massachusetts residents. He's a great choice.
Deeval really needs to consider just two persons for this 'hold the chair' appointment to the U.S. Senate: 1) Martha Coakley so a less bumptuous state attorney general might be elected, and 2) Glen Johnson so the Glob can nae a less left-listed opinionator to cover politics. . . Just think... a miniprimary in Deeval's head and Johnson would be there to keep us all imbibed in the governor's synaptic spurts. . .
I didn't realize people could get so excited about appointing someone to fill in for three months or so. Kerry was a Dem. you replace him with a Dem. and then you have one of your stupid "special elections", now they are aptly named "special". Why not Barney he's as good as anyone and knows the ropes. He does the gig for three months picks up a few bucks and the world keeps turning. Big deal.
Barney Frank - the shame of a nation.
Has he not done enough damage to the country already? Must we give him an opportunity to bloviat some more and perhaps contribute to more nation-destroying legislation?
And - would the Senate pages be safe? All the pages in the house know about "hot bottom"...but who might he prey upon in new surroundings?
As I said before on another blog and to the governor I would be THRILLED to have Barney Frank take the temporary seat ESPECIALLY during the interim debt ceiling debacle and Republican extortionist attempts at blowing the nation and the world up over something that was NEVER an issue for Congress in the past. Since when have Republicans EVER cared about the deficit? Answer: NEVER and exploded our deficit during the Bush years with two war UNPAID FOR, Medicare Part D a give away to big pharma friends of "W" and now that president Obama has won reelection by crushing Romney all of a sudden they care about deficits. I can think of no other person that is as smart, experienced and skillful as Barney Frank to address the Republican gangsters. I love you, Barney, and thank you for SO many years of dedicated service on the humanitarian side of issues and for speaking up for those among us who cannot speak for themselves. Governor Patrick, as an ardent Democrat I ask you to please appoint Barney Frank to this temporary seat!