# Barney Frank not running again **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 29, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399 "2011-11-29T01:27:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/1 "2011-11-29T01:27:21Z")
Certainly big news in MA, so I’m hearing a lot about it. Figured I’d give his retirement a thread to hear others opinions. He included a number of reasons for not running again one of the biggest being redistricting. His new district would drop one of his key area’s while adding others, it would be a total of 350,000 new people he’d be representing. His last election he won by 9%. Winning in the new district would still be doable but I tend to agree with his decision. He’s 71 now. Campaigning under the circumstances would be a large task to take on and he’d be selling himself to new constituents he’d only be able to represent for a limited time anyhow. I’ll miss him a lot. He’s a voice not easily replaced. Politically I’m not sure who’s going to try and fill his shoes yet. I’m sure in the next week we’ll hear the announcements. I laughed when someone told me the commerce comity was going to become more conservative with his leaving. Maxine Waters is the next in line behind Frank, Frank is nowhere near as liberal as her. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/2 "2011-11-29T01:30:05Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > I laughed when someone told me the commerce comity was going to become more conservative with his leaving. Maxine Waters is the next in line behind Frank, Frank is nowhere near as liberal as her. She’s also bit of an embarassment to the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/3 "2011-11-29T01:33:16Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > She’s also bit of an embarassment to the Democrats. It’s only fair, considering the clown car that’s been disgorging Republicans for the last two years. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/4 "2011-11-29T01:43:19Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > She’s also bit of an embarassment to the Democrats. One of those distorted views of yours from the right IMO. She’s been consistently elected by Democrats Since well before you were born. If they actually considered her an embarrassment they probably wouldn’t keep electing her. People you consider an embarrassment really means fuck all. Just about any Democrat is considered an embarrassment from your point of view. That said I’d much rather have Frank over Waters, but I don’t get any say there. I’ll take Waters over almost any Republican in the house these days. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/5 "2011-11-29T01:53:12Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > One of those distorted views of yours from the right IMO. And various watchdog groups and Congressional ethics committees, cough cough. The Democrats would be better off keeping her out of such a prominent position if they can do anything about it. > [@](#): > > She’s been consistently elected by Democrats Since well before you were born. If they actually considered her an embarrassment they probably wouldn’t keep electing her. Well, no, it means she’s done enough to convince the voters of her district that they should keep her in office even if she’s an embarrassment, and by the time you’ve been in Congress for 20 years, it’s not that hard to scare off challengers. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/6 "2011-11-29T01:58:03Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > And various watchdog groups and Congressional ethics committees, cough cough. The Democrats would be better off keeping her out of such a prominent position if they can do anything about it. What’s she done or will do? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/7 "2011-11-29T03:14:38Z")
Well, for starters [Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington) has included her on its Most Corrupt members of Congress list in [2005](http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/mostcorrupt/entry/most-corrupt-2005), [2006](http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/mostcorrupt/entry/most-corrupt-2006), [2009](http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/mostcorrupt/entry/most-corrupt-2009) and [2011](http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/mostcorrupt). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/8 "2011-11-29T03:26:47Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > What’s she done or will do? She has a reputation for steering public money toward businesses owned by her family in general, but the worst is the OneUnited Bank stuff, which is in her 2011 CREW entry: > [@](#): > > In the midst of a national financial catastrophe, Rep. Maxine Waters used her position as a senior member of Congress and member of the House Financial Services Committee to prevail upon Treasury officials to meet with OneUnited Bank. She never disclosed that her husband held stock in the bank. I believe her husband was also a former director of the bank. She was going to be hauled in front of the House Ethics Committee over this in 2010, but I think the proceedings were scotched. ---
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/9 "2011-11-29T03:37:44Z")
Maxine Waters has disaster potential. I say this as a fan of the work of Barney Frank who admired at how he stood steadfast despite the thousands of conservative lies cast his way. Waters is not only unqualified, she lacks a basic understanding of how finance works and her college degree is in sociology, IIRC. Brad Sherman (D) of California should move past her as ranking member. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/10 "2011-11-29T04:29:36Z")
Anyhow does anyone have something to say about Barney Frank’s announcement? We can start another thread about Waters. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/11 "2011-11-29T05:40:11Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Anyhow does anyone have something to say about Barney Frank’s announcement? I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to push for additional financial regulation from outside Congress, since we’ve seen how good a job Congress is doing on that score. He was certainly much more entertaining and personable than your average Congressman or woman and he did blaze a trail as an openly gay man in Congress. There is already noise that a Kennedy (Joseph III) is thinking about running for the job Frank is vacating. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/12 "2011-11-29T05:46:29Z")
With the passing of Edward Kennedy and Robert Byrd, and the retirement of Barney Frank, the right is losing all of their favorite targets. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/13 "2011-11-29T06:53:20Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > One of those distorted views of yours from the right IMO. She’s been consistently elected by Democrats Since well before you were born. If they actually considered her an embarrassment they probably wouldn’t keep electing her. > > People you consider an embarrassment really means fuck all. Just about any Democrat is considered an embarrassment from your point of view. I used to work in that congressional district. They’d elect Ahmadinejad if he ran as a Democrat. Also remember she never defeated an incumbant. She took over from the retiring Dem after serving in the State Assembly. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/14 "2011-11-29T11:29:19Z")
It really is going to be a shame to lose Frank’s voice. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/15 "2011-11-29T15:46:07Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > It really is going to be a shame to lose Frank’s voice. Hah! I love Barney and hate to see him go, but even I have to note that if you think retirement is going to get him to shut up, you’re way wrong… ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/16 "2011-11-29T15:49:20Z")
He said the political situation in Washington has changed, and he won’t be able to work on the inside, which he says he’s best at. It’s a little spooky. He could just be retiring normally I guess, but it also seems he’s getting out while the getting’s good. I wonder what deeper things are going on in Washington. He’s not the type to run. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/17 "2011-11-29T15:53:06Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > One of those distorted views of yours from the right IMO. She’s been consistently elected by Democrats Since well before you were born. If they actually considered her an embarrassment they probably wouldn’t keep electing her. You know that Congressional seats are not national offices, right? Nobody gets to stop electing her except the people in her district. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/18 "2011-11-29T18:13:45Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > He said the political situation in Washington has changed, and he won’t be able to work on the inside, which he says he’s best at. > > It’s a little spooky. He could just be retiring normally I guess, but it also seems he’s getting out while the getting’s good. I wonder what deeper things are going on in Washington. He’s not the type to run. I would assume that he is referring to the growing partisanship that is preventing Republicans from even entertaining the idea of negotiating with Democrats to reach a middle ground. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/19 "2011-11-29T18:49:03Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I wonder what deeper things are going on in Washington. He’s not the type to run. No, but he is (because he’s a smart guy) the type to consider “Do I need this shit?” and arrive at the conclusion “No, as a matter of fact I do NOT need this shit.” This makes me sad for me, but happy for him. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/20 "2011-11-29T18:58:14Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > It’s only fair, considering the clown car that’s been disgorging Republicans for the last two years. Michelle Duggar? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399.md?page=2)