Barney Frank discussing the Boston marathon bombing on CNN this morning:
"We are talking about recovery here all morning, as this city, as this state tries to bounce back from this," the CNN host said to Frank, a former congressman from that state. "And someone brought up an interesting point that, in some ways, the recovery is based on the response. The response yesterday was so remarkable. They stopped the marathon mid-point and calmly moved some 5,000 people from the racecourse. There were moments of chaos right there, but they were able to clear the scene fairly well. What are your impressions of the response in Boston so far?"
"I'm glad you raised that, because it gives me a chance to make a point I've felt strongly about," said Frank. "In this terrible situation, let's be very grateful that we had a well-funded, functioning government. It is very fashionable in America, and has been for some time to criticize government, belittle public employees, talk about their pensions, talk about what people think ... of [their] health care. Here we saw government in two ways perform very well. ... I never was as a member of Congress one of the cheerleaders for less government, lower taxes. No tax cut would have helped us deal with this or will help us recover. This is very expensive."
Barney Frank publicly asked the Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick for the Senate seat held by John Kerry. (Kerry, of course, is stepping down to run the State Department.) But today it appears that Frank has been passed over.
CBS Boston is reporting that "Gov. Patrick announces Mo Cowan as interim Mass. Senator."
Cowan is Patrick's former chief of staff.
The official announcement is expected later today, at 11 a.m. in Massachusetts.
"I’ve told the governor I would now like, frankly, to" be senator, Frank admitted earlier this month on MSNBC:
On Friday, the boss took on Democratic congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts at a debate sponsored by the American Jewish Committee in Washington, D.C. Watch here:
Over a year and a half ago, a former staffer to Rep. Barney Frank, the then-chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, took a job with Goldman Sachs as the financial firm’s top lobbyist in Washington, D.C. The staffer had helped write legislation while he was working in the House of Representatives that would have direct consequences on his new employer.
Barney Frank -- unintentionally! -- sums up the problem: "'If it is (a conflict of interest), then much of Washington is involved (in conflicts),' Frank told the Herald last night."
U.S. Rep Barney Frank’s early 2012 re-election vow yesterday sent Democrats scrambling to find a new congressional odd man out while prompting Frank’s 2010 GOP rival to hint at a rematch.
Fox News has called the race in Massachusetts's Fourth District. 30-year incumbent Barney Frank has defeated upstart Republican Sean Bielat. Frank seemed to be facing his first serious challenge in decades, but the Newton Democrat appears to be carrying this race by a large margin.
The Cook Political Report yesterday released 15 new House race rating changes (subscription required), including shifting the race in Virginia between Democratic incumbent Gerry Connolly and Republican Keith Fimian to a toss up. Additionally, Georgia Blue Dog Democrat Jim Marshall's race against Republican Austin Scott was changed from a toss up to leaning Republican.
Facebook
Twitter
