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Subscribe to RSSAfter more than three decades in Congress, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has announced his plans to retire at the end of his current term. Frank discusses what's behind his decision with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie.
Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank announced Monday that he would retire at the end of his term in early 2013, citing his redrawn district boundaries and his desire to write as reasons.
A longtime liberal stalwart on Capitol Hill, Frank said that he would leave the House after 16 terms primarily due to the way his 4th congressional district had been remapped as a result of Census-based reapportionment.
"I was planning to run again, and then the congressional redistricting came," he said at a press conference in Massachusetts.
Frank said that he wasn't particularly interested in the rigors of waging a full-fledged campaign -- particularly fundraising -- in a district that was mostly half new to him.
As chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Frank coauthored of 2010's financial regulatory reform law; he serves now as the committee's ranking Democratic member. Frank said he had been flirting with retirement for some time now, but was motivated to return to Congress for another term to help defend the law from Republicans who have pledged to repeal the law.
Frank also denied that Democrats' chances of winning back the House next fall played a major role in his decision to decline re-election.
Frank has long been a lightning rod for critics, in no small part because of his blunt comments to the press, and sometimes cantankerous engagements with Republicans. But for conservatives hoping that Frank fades into a quiet retirement, the outgoing congressman promised anything but that.
"I'm not retiring from advocacy of public policy," he said. Frank said his preference would be to write -- perhaps on an unfinished Ph.D. dissertation -- and speak freely on issues. He said he didn't anticipate practicing law, though he suggested he "might show up pro bono someday for a gay rights case." (Frank is one of only three openly gay members of Congress.)
At a news conference, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said that he was originally intended to seek one more term but changed his mind in part because the state's new redistricting. Watch his entire statement.
Frank also swore off becoming a lobbyist (He would be in a prime position to cash in because of his committee position.), while taking a shot at former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at that.
"I will neither be a lobbyist nor a historian," he said, referencing Gingrich's explanation at a recent debate of his work for troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac as being in his capacity as a historian. "One of the advantages to me of not running for office is I don't even have to try to pretend to be nice to people I don't like ... and the notion of being a lobbyist, and having to go and try to be nice to people I don't like -- it would be ridiculous."
Gingrich and Frank have sparred publicly over the course of their respective careers, most recently when Gingrich suggested that Frank should be jailed for the policies the Massachusetts Democrat had supported, which Gingrich said had effectively triggered the housing crisis.
"I did not think I've lived a good enough life to be rewarded by Newt Gingrich being the Republican nominee. It still is unlikely, but I have hopes. I think he is," he said, calling the former Speaker's boomlet a repudiation of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
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"Frank said that he wasn't particularly interested in the rigors of waging a full-fledged campaign -- particularly fundraising -- in a district that was mostly half new to him."
Translation - He barely won in the district set up previously for him to win and hold so now he doesn't want to do the hard work of actually trying to get people to agree with his policies.
Screw Barney Frank he was inept as the Banking oversight committee and he accepted a sweet heart deal from Counrtywide the crook should rot in hell and this has nothing to do with politics, it's about being honest!!
Well i think the tea leaves just told us its going to be a republican election. Hang in there america, OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE will soon be over. The tea party republicans will save america.
It's not like Barney to pull out when he's already in so deep.
gotta love the fact as to why he's retiring - - new district means he would actually have to go out and campaign and that sounds like too much work for him. wow, might have to work and explain a plan of action ... easier to just quit and go fight for his personal interests....note that he also doesn't see the Dem's being re-elected...is he admitting what a monumental mess they've made?
Yeah, Bush cleaned up the economic mess that Clinton made. If we can get another republican in the white house in 2013 to clean up the mess that Obama has made, we can get back to the economic boom we enjoyed in 2008.
JimS-459172
- are you out of your mind?!!! The entire political arena is corrupt in DC. It's time to follow the money. Don't be fooled. The only trustable ones left are Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich. Sen. Bernie Sanders is a good man but now isw not the time to expect people to trust social programs which follow orders from corporations. that's a dangerous mix. And it creates a dependency on the same predatory banks.
Frank also swore off becoming a lobbyist (He would be in a prime position to cash in because of his committee position.),
I thought frank was a lobbyist as a congressman.
Wow, This is the first time I posted on this vine and you people (especially feisty) are vicious can't anyone have an opinion other than your own.. yes my DNA is just fine thank-you and by the way I am from Galveaton, Texas last time I checked they do not grow peaches on the island so you see how narrow-mined your thinking is that my name is associated with Georgia peaches. Now that I mentioned that I am from Texas go ahead and be childish start putting Texas down
Ever heard the term "turnabout is fair play" Feisty has the right.
Don't take anything that effiminate male feisty say too serious. You'd be angry too if you were a communist living in America.
sweetgeorgia,
Liberals have NOTHING of real substance to use in any discussion so they name call.
Just ignore the Libs and don't stop making your own comments.
After the disastrous Fwank-Dodd bill Bawney knew he'd be toast. As for him calling out Gingrich, well, let's just see where Bawney makes his money; guessing a publisher will offer him a boatload of loot so "poor old" Bawney won't be hurting like his contituents are.
Are you kidding, Barney GAVE THE BANKSTERS $700 BILLION smackaroos. Think payback. I'm sure he has an offshore account in the Bahamas...the Queen and the Bank of London doesn't permit account investigations there. When he was caught with that kid running tricks out of his apartment in boston 20 yrs ago, the media went soft on him and forgot the matter, quickly. That bail out con job was his pay off...and he's free to leave. Of course he'll want to leave before the banksters play their last 'prop-up' card and the the whole house of cards come tumbling down. FRANK is a SLEEZEBAG.
memo to democrats: YOU THINK 2010 WAS A DISASTER, WAIT TILL YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU IN 2012. Something on the scale of the mayan calendar.
How precious - a newly born, re-reg, banned, troll has snuck back in...
Enjoy your time around here while you can allwaysfaithfull, frosty, irespond and so on...
tick... tock... little buddy! ;o)
Sorry Sham-Boy - no one is supressing anything!
You have been banned multiple times & continue to come back as a re-reg which is against the rules...
Pretty simple if you ask me... lol
tickity tickity tock... little buddy...
BTW: I will be the one having the last laugh when President Obama is re-elected by a landslide! lol
I would say it is YOU who never learn which is why you are continually banned! lol
Speaking of never learning...
This is suppose to bother me WHY?
You see when my comment is collapsed my VOTE totals go through the roof because everyone opens them...
But don't tell the rest of the right wingers will ya?
Your freedom of speech around here ended the FIRST time you were banned!
However, YOU being a right wing CHEAT, believe that rules don't apply to you!
Sad, but not in the least bit surprising!
Buh Bye!
I was a Dem my whole life until the 'Bail Out' of Oct 2008. Since then, Frank has proven he is just a sleezebag. Just another Banker puppet. Good Bye, Frank! Do US a favor and stay out of politics.
So a life long Dem blames Bush's bail out on Barney Frank. I'm not buying that for a second go back to fox
Barney the dinosaur is leaving great, now how about Pelosi, Reed, Murray, Cantwell, Kerry and the rest of the Socialists??????
Gary,
you forgot Debbie Wasserman BULL Schultz.
He will go down in history as the human being most responsible for the housing crisis that wiped out the hope and savings of Amercans.
What a piece of shiit!!!
Zionist schill, cashing in his 20 million dollar check
as we speak. Thats why he is retiring
The only thang he wuz ever good fer anyway was target practice and fertiliz'r. Er, uh, scratch th' fertiliz'r ! ( Jus kiddin' , or am I ? ;) )
Its the beginning of the end for the socialist democratic regime in congress. Your time is up.
you and you'rs are probably on social security and medicare as we speak
AWW I get my Christmas present early !
Bye Barney, you old Leftwing SOB, see kids when failed ideas, policys and programs hurt our nation ,the people that caused them run away to hide and make sure no one remembers what a mess they made!
Then when the mess is all cleaned up these bad people crawl back out and try to take the credit or tell others how they'd have fixed the problem ,but instead waste tax dollars and run up the nations debt on the dumbest of things.
But sometimes they get old and found out for the pompose asshat they and here we are Barney Franks a man who helped destory the nations housing market and start the recession,helped shove an over priced health care act that raised health care cost and still didn't help out those it deemed at risk as they promised to.
Yes your service to our nation will be missed ,kinda like warts and smallpox!
speaking of warts and smallpox, let's not forget Dodd.
He doesn't want to put the time in to campaign and raise money for re-election??
Really?
Now that your district has been redrawn and the deck isn't stacked in your favor, you're calling it quits??
Typical liberal. Working for what you want is too hard. Liberals are used to taking what they want.
I thought Democrats were supposed to be a shoe-in for 2012?
Frank should be able to walk in. Just like "I need $1 billion to get re-elected" Obama.
Or maybe because they're starting to crack down on insider trading and corruption in Washington about how they all abuse the system to make money under the table, he's getting out before the sh!t hits the fan.
And in true liberal fashion Frank can't make a simple speech about why he's retiring, without getting in a few jabs at Republicans.
Like we need to be reminded liberals have no class.
At least Barney Frank has experience in another field , besides politics.
He can become the proprietor of a gay Bordello.
Finally this scoundrel will be gone. He is one of the single most reasons why the housing market is in the shape it is.
Goodbye old delusional one.
This man was a key factor in the entire downed economy due to his ideological desire that everyone should own a home or at least have a mortgage. Did not matter to him whether they could afford one or not. I am sure he was Feisty Red Head's idol........Come on man......
We are witnessing an historic event in america's history. The beginning of the end of the socialist regime in america that was started under fdr. Now we can rebuild america.
Mmac, Let us hope for that. I agree .Hopefully all the other snakes will follow leaving congress.
DIOGENES 22
thank-you
Barney Frank: "and the notion of being a lobbyist, and having to go and try to be nice to people I don't like -- it would be ridiculous."
The truth is...........NO one LIKES YOU , Barney.
LEONA-2986819
thank-you, also
Frank has done enough damage to this country: Freddie, Fannie, Dodd-Frank; he should have left or have been put in jail a lot sooner.
His district is "mostly half new" to him? Am I the only one who realizes that makes no sense? How can anything be mostly half?
Barney Franks - dem congressman with questionable ethics issues retires (repubs say this is a good thing)
Newt Gingrich - former rep congressman with known ethics issues runs for ..and leads the GOP in race for Presidential nomination (repubs say this is a good thing)
The GOP - still preaching from the mountaintops -