A sign that the Democrats realize they will not retake the House next year?
The Massachusetts Democrat, first elected in 1980, serves as the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee. During a four-year stint as chairman of the panel, he helped shepherd the Dodd-Frank overhaul of the nation’s financial regulations.
He won a closer-than-expected re-election bid in 2010, taking 53 percent of the vote, his lowest total since first winning his Newton- and Tauton-based district in 1980.
The official announcement comes this afternoon. The media will undoubtedly lionize Frank, who has served 16 terms in the House. He doesn’t deserve it. He deserves to be considered a corrupt creature of Washington who helped usher in the Great Recession. Frank was among the Democrats who prevented scrutiny and reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac when it could have prevented the economic collapse. Republicans at the time wanted more oversight and regulation of Fannie and Freddie. Frank and many of his fellow Democrats stood in the way. He comes into this video at 4:55, saying there’s no problem at Fannie/Freddie at all.
Frank downplayed concerns about the housing bubble in 2005.
Frank later lied about his role:
Frank’s other scandals include bending the TARP to get a bank a loan it shouldn’t have gotten, and, the whole prostitution ring running out of his home story.
Washington and the nation will be far better off without Barney Frank anywhere near political power.
Update: Yikes.
By the way, with Frank retiring Maxine Waters is slated to be the ranking Dem on the banking committee.
Waters marched right alongside Frank in defense of Fannie & Freddie, and once let slip that she would like to “socialize”, as in seize for the government, oil companies. She also told the Tea Party to “go straight to Hell,” but for some reason Colin Powell didn’t see fit to call her out for being divisive.
Frank’s retirement is probably connected to Massachusetts losing a House seat next year.
Does he want to spend more time with his family? I guess he figures he’s done as much damage to the country as he could so it’s time to move on.
Does this mean that Sean Bielat has a better chance of taking that seat next year? Or can any Republican win in that District?
Without the influence of his Congressional seat, Frank has no “family”. Every “lover” he’s had was connected to supplicants seeking his legislative favors.
Someday soon, there will be a President and a congress that is not controlled by the party of the corrupt rich and the neo-fascisti that is the American left.
When that day comes, Bawny might wish that he was still a sitting mamber of congress, with all of the attendent immunities to criminal prosecution that go with the office. Much of his activitiy in the last 30 plus years has been in violation of his oath and clearly in criminal territory. A de-radicalized Department of Justice might find a review of Mr Frank’s and Mr. Dodds’ (to name only 2, but you can toss in Pelosi if you like) activities while in office to be actionable under federal criminal statute.
I can’t wait.
Barny, don’t take the above the wrong way.
Do give up your seat. Please.
That picture of Bawney on the home page looks strikingly like a mug shot (absent the side view).
Appropriate, no?
The original “Lord of the Flies” was fiction, just like the notion that a Democrat would be held accountable for the corruption protected by their party.
Fantasy.
Get ready for the MSM puff pieces, full of fawning adoration for his “accomplishments” and selfless “public service.” It might be a good idea to keep a barf bag handy.
Repeal Dodd-Frank.
This socialist piece of legislation was born in a democratically dominated House and Senate believing they would be able to “ride Herd” over America’s capitalist economy…forever.
Both democratic House and Senate’s signature accomplishment, in this vein, was Obamacare. A hard fought, difficult victory but nevertheless important for Mr. Obama’s administration.
Both of these are trial ballons for Mr. Obama’s re-election bid. They’re harbinger’s of what’s to come in an Obama second term administration.
Both pieces of legislation, Dodd-Frank and Obamacare MUST be resoundingly repealed, defeated and never again reintroduced, in whole or in part.
Vote massively in 2012 for massive fraud is all around us. Did you see the UNIONS are making bullet-proof vests? Yep, the workers were caught smoking pot while on the job…so much for OWS’ers.God Bless America.
barney’ll do ok, a well-connected, private entrepreneur, running a whorehouse for his white house clientele.
The redistricting in MA-4 cut out the city of New Bedford and included more “deep purple” suburban towns. Sean Bielat’s challenge in ’10 surely spooked Frank (he ponied up a few mil of his personal fortune to pull out the win). This time, with a less blue district and anti-incumbent sentiment strong as ever, he could very well have to go for broke, literally, to pull out the win. Give him credit for knowing when to fold.
– fun anymore without the chairmanship.
Us normal people from franks district couldn*t be happier! The family embarrassment won*t be showing up for the Holiday gathering anymore (although we*l have a lot less to talk about).Don*t consider this an anti gay posting,it is not;just a sigh of relief from a weary people! You have no idea how revolting it was to have the kerry/frank circus arrive here in New Bedford to out smell the fish market! Its true they spoke from the whaling district,but the sad truth is that District is completely surrounded by housing projects!
Us normal people from franks district couldn*t be happier! The family embarrassment won*t be showing up for the Holiday gathering anymore (although we*l have a lot less to talk about).Don*t consider this an anti gay posting,it is not;just a sigh of relief from a weary people! You have no idea how revolting it was to have the kerry/frank circus arrive here in New Bedford to out smell the fish market! Its true they spoke from the whaling district,but the sad truth is that District is completely surrounded by housing projects!
Drooling Barney is so odious on so many levels that it is impossible to describe the damage that he has done to this country.
He is probably the person most responsible for the financial catastrophe of 2008, and that is just a small part of the destruction the loathesome creature manaaged to create in his hideous life. Nobody is as hateful, as hate-filled and as uncontrollably angry and vengeful as a pervert so disgusting and ugly that nobody can love him. Drooling Barney set a standard that may never be achieved again.
Other than that, I think he’s just fine.
Look for him to find a high paying job at Fannie/Freddie or one of the lobbying firms very early in 2013.
Hosanna.
http://plbirnamwood.blogspot.com/2011/11/barney-frank-to-retire-from-congress.html
I predict Barney Frank will soon be the subject of insider trading investigations, along with many other members of Congress. Not for the trades they made themselves, but for the insider information they provided to others who profited from trades based on that information.
Stay tuned.