It is a well known fact that most Congressmen, members of the lower chamber of Congress, never become significant, well known, accomplished, and memorable in the long run of our history.
Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank is one of those exceptions, and he announced today that he was retiring after 32 years, 16 terms, in the House, from the Boston area.
Always outspoken and controversial, and willing to “get in one’s face”, Frank has his detractors who literally hate him, and his admirers, who love him, and consider him a giant figure in the House who has been trashed by conservative and Republican propagandists.
This author sides with the latter view, as Frank, despite being blamed wrongly by the RIght for the Great Recession, particularly in housing, actually set out to promote regulation of the financial industry, but was stopped by the Bush Administration from meaningful control over banks and corporations.
A lot of lying is going on, making Frank the villain, and a lot of it is centered, no matter what the critics say, on the fact that Barney Frank was the first openly gay member of the House, proud of his homosexuality, and not willing to be bullied by his critics, and instead willing to fight with words and actions!
Frank has been an inspiration to many people, and he will not be forgotten in history, but instead will be one of the most historic figures in the history of the House Of Representatives, almost as if he had been Speaker of the House!
If Frank hadn’t come out in ’05 and say publicly that there wasn’t a housing bubble and there was no fear of a collapse, I would agree with your analysis.While Bush’s unrealistic approach of increasing homeownership in the country resulted in the plethora of low or no down payment loans, I still am of the open that Frank as chair of the committee that oversees fell a little short on the due diligence required of that position.
I truly believe that Frank lost a little off his fastball and was more than a little surly in his last campaign against an almost unknown opponent who finished with a much closer percentage and almost upset the long term incumbent. Yes, I know 2010 was the year of “throw ’em all out” mentality, but Mass. was pretty much immune to that mindset.
With the 2010 census resulting in a loss of a congressional seat, redistricting took away a key town in his old district that would have made re-election even more difficult in 2012.
Here’s another perspective on Frank’s decision in today’s Boston Globe. Interesting. They have always had a primarily favorable view of him over the years on the editorial page:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2011/12/01/bielat-challenge-pushed-frank-toward-exit/igRptO1oq4uyCt6LHeem8O/story.html
Thanks, Paul, for your providing this link regarding Barney Frank’s decision to retire. It is an interesting alternative perspective!