U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Boston), perhaps the hottest tempered gay man in public life, went out in predictable rhetorical garb this morning, telling one lie and one truth.
The scowling, perpetually angry 71-year-old Congressman became the 17th House Democrat to announce he was not running for re-election in ’12 — a further sign that Republicans, one year out, are expected to retain their iron hold on that chamber.
Belligerent Barney told Washington reporters he would not be returning for two reasons:
• When his district was redrawn — as all are every 10 years — the fattest liberal cluster of votes was moved elsewhere, making re-election a longshot even though he has won handily 16 times, and (here comes the lie, a talent at which he is facile)
• The national political climate has become polarized, unpleasant to live in.
Belligerent Barney was one of the prominent and enduring architects of the ugly climate — through his undisciplined temper and monster dose of daily fury that boils within his conniving mind.
Unable Cain and Able Barney
As the Herman Cain affair allegations heat up again this afternoon, it is timely to remember that Belligerent Barney was the toe-dancing star of a scandal a few years ago that would have brought down a normal politician.
But Belligerent is a liberal, and that grants him a lifetime seal of protection in the establishment media.
Belligerent lives with his boyfriend, on the theory that everybody has to have someone. Belligerent’s boyfriend was running a whorehouse out of their Home Sweet Home.
Who Says He’s a Bad Guy?
It hardly rated a blip in the national media. By contrast, during the George W. Bush presidency, a non-name Congressman from Florida — Mark somebody — was brought down by a less serious “scandal” because he committed the grievous error of registered as a Republican. Previously, he only was known by his family. Ninety-eight percent of journalists in the establishment media loathe non-liberals, non-Democrats. Hence, overnight he was gone.
Belligerent Barney’s scandal was ominously missing from today’s gushing obituaries.
As a man who never married, Belligerent, unsurprisingly, is terrible with money. He is capable of lying about big money.
As the Democratic head of the influential House Financial Services Committee, he kept a closer eye on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae than non-gay men keep on their spouses.
During the later Bush years, as the recession neared, unbeknownst to normal people, Belligerent Barney seemingly lied repeatedly in testimony about the condition and accelerated failure of the two gigantic government mortgage houses. Belligerent is cited as one of the causes of the recession. Maybe he was too busy recruiting clients for his boyfriend.
Was he a male madam or a surreptitious sir?
With Belligerent Barney becoming a nonentity again, the news in Washington remains dreadful. As Democratic head of the House Financial Services Committee, he will be succeeded by another creamy smooth liar, Slapsie Maxie (I Have My Crooked Side) Waters (D-South Los Angeles). Only three letters come to mind, u-g-h.
