Difference between revisions of "Barney Frank"

Revision as of 17:05, November 7, 2009

Barney Frank
U.S. Representative from Massachusetts's 4th Congressional District From: January 5, 1981 - Present
Predecessor	Robert Drinan
Successor	none
Information
Party	Democrat
Spouse(s)	none
Religion	Jewish

Congressman Barney Frank is a multi-term liberal Democrat Representative from Massachusetts, representing districts in Boston. He is one of the few openly homosexual members of Congress and he only revealed his homosexual proclivities several years after he had been elected to the position. Frank is the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee. ^[1]

Chairman of Financial Services

Fannie Mae

In the midst of the financial crisis of 2008, it was revealed that Frank's homosexual partner ^[2], an executive at Fannie Mae, had been one of the foreleaders to deregulate the lending restrictions on the agency and that Frank may have acted through a conflict of interest in the 1990s.^[3]

Finger of blame

Liberal bigshot and Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin appearing on HBO's "Real Time," not only pointed fingers at Barney Frank for the current crisis, but also blamed former President Clinton and fellow Democrats. ^[4]

Statements prior to financial meltdown

As posted on Pajamasmedia, ^[5] “The Bush administration today recommended the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago,” The New York Times, September 11, 2003.

But someone intervened to stymie the Bush administration. Who? The New York Times reports:

Supporters of the companies said efforts to regulate the lenders tightly under those agencies might diminish their ability to finance loans for lower-income families. . . . “These two entities — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — are not facing any kind of financial crisis,” said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. “The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.”

As shown on CSPAN in 2004, Frank said at Office of the Federal Housing Enterprise Oversite (OFHEO) hearing regarding the report of illegal activity by Fannie Mae does not "raise safety and soundness of Fannie Mae investments problems at issue". ^[6]

Financial meltdown responsibility

Frank became abusive to a constituent at a townhalll meeting carrying a sign produced by the organization of two time Democratic presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.

Barney Frank says he wants some of those responsible for our current financial meltdown to be prosecuted. Investors Business Daily writes "it takes some chutzpah for someone such as Frank to suggest that he'll seek prosecutions for those behind the housing and financial crunch," and "For Frank, perhaps more than any single individual in private or public life, is responsible for both the housing market mess and subsequent bank disaster." ^[7]

Heathcare debacle

In August of 2009 during the Congressional Summer break at a townhall meeting on Obamacare, in response to questions from voters Frank displayed an ill temper by being abusive as he exploded at a constituent who was carrying a poster of President Obama produced by the Lyndon LaRouche organization. [1]

ACORN

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to defund ACORN, 345-75 on September 17, 2009. Seventy-five Democrats stood with ACORN while ACORN's biggest cheerleader Barney Frank decided not to cast a vote. ^[8]

Marijuana

Frank is the author of a bill to decriminalize marijuana for medical purposes. Also, Frank was present when authorities arrested his same-sex partner for marijuana possession, cultivation and use of drug paraphernalia in 2007. ^[9] He claimed he was unaware his partner had marijuana plants.

See also

• Recession of 2008
• Henry M. Paulson

References