Barney Frank: GOP Colleagues Winced At 'Mighty Mouse' McCain

One would think that some of John McCain's Republican colleagues might actually want to help him become president of these United States, but no: given the opportunity to ensure that the presidential candidate might be able to make a substantive contribution to bailout measure negotiations, McCain's friends in the Republican Party put their noses to the grindstone and worked out a deal without any Maverick input. Clearly Republican leaders are totally in the tank for Obama.

How painful was the thought of working alongside McCain? Over at Politico, they report that Barney Frank minced few words, saying: "Nobody mentioned him. The man's irrelevant to the whole process. No Republican mentioned his name. I'm the only one who raised his name. They winced when I did." Frank also compared McCain to a cartoon superhero:

"He's been irrelevant to the process. He remains to be," said Frank. "I was afraid that his dropping in here, like Andy Kaufman's Mighty Mouse -- 'here I am to save the day' -- I thought that would slow things down. I didn't see any sign of our Republican colleagues paying any attention to him whatsoever."

[WATCH ANDY KAUFMAN SAVE THE U.S. ECONOMY.]

Comments

[Ramirez]

From NYT, 2003:
*****

The Bush administration today recommended the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago.

Under the plan, disclosed at a Congressional hearing today, a new agency would be created within the Treasury Department to assume supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that are the two largest players in the mortgage lending industry.

The new agency would have the authority, which now rests with Congress, to set one of the two capital-reserve requirements for the companies. It would exercise authority over any new lines of business. And it would determine whether the two are adequately managing the risks of their ballooning portfolios.

The plan is an acknowledgment by the administration that oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- which together have issued more than $1.5 trillion in outstanding debt -- is broken. A report by outside investigators in July concluded that Freddie Mac manipulated its accounting to mislead investors, and critics have said Fannie Mae does not adequately hedge against rising interest rates. ...

-snip-

''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."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E3D6123BF932A2575AC0A9659C8B63&scp=1&sq=%22barney+frank%22&st=nyt

[sawdustinhershoes]

So, since 2003, the adminstration and the congress have allowed Freddie Mac and Fannie May be run into the ground while they were supposedly being regulated by whom, exactly?

It appears the concerns of the democrats, loans for lower income people, were overtaken by the concerns of the people placed in charge of regulation that wasn't properly funded or performed. So, whose fault is that? I think it's the republican's fault. They were and are in charge. Don't give me this crap that the democrats control congress. There is no democratic majority in the Senate. There hasn't been for a long time.

No. For years, the republicans have been in control. To lay the blame for this scandal at the feet of the democrats is as much a lie as saying Rick Davis hasn't worked for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for years.

[Eoin45]

Why don't you go clip coupons instead Ramirez and, while you're at it, get some thoughts that are your own.

[leaningIndy]

The McCain campaign is a joke. I know it and other readers on this site know it. Even so-called Republican sites agree to varying degrees. I would assume that MOST clear-headed citizens in this country recognize that fact. Then why in the world does Gallup and some other supposedly-legitimate polls continue to show a close race? Is the public truly this gullible? I hope not, because if that's the case then our nation will be swallowed up by smarter countries.

[spambrando]

Yes. They are. I have had the most vitriolic, nasty responses from people I KNOW that are Republicans. It truly is a staggering statistic that so many US citizens are basically, this stupid.

[JahLenin]

leaning, the fact is that if Obama was a white man, McCs polling would be in the low 30s across the board. I apologise if this offends some people, but it's the unspoken truth of this farce of a campaign.

[EYEONU2]

I agree,but many refuse to acknowledge that. I fear that there are people who would rather have any man ( or woman), no matter how they lie, cheat, manipulate ,no matter if they bring ruin to this country as along as that man ( or woman) is White. That is the Inconvenient Truth of this election that many ( even Obama supporters who happens to love the man for what he is) do not want or refuse to recognize.

[RobertAndropolis]

As JahLenin has stated, this race is about race. It is the only logical explanation for the supposed closeness of the polls (of course, the polls could be wrong, as they most times were in the primary, but not this wrong).

Which candidate is more intelligent?
Which candidate shows more judgement?
Which candidate demonstrates more leadership?
Which candidate most inspires people to act?
Which candidate is half-Black?

[sonoffestus]

Because they are PAID to create a close horse race. If the MSM did not have the "close poll numbers" people would yawn and turn to American Idol and Lost in greater numbers.

There are very, very few real journalist these days. They can only talk of lipstick, pigs and trivial matters. Hey, what about Keating Five,? That might be a good place to start, but then "journalist" would have to do some research, and then might be required to ask some tough questions, and god forbid follow up questions. Wouldn't that be refreshing?

Most journalists and McCain supporters think that the Keating Five are a high school basketball team from OK or better a hockey team from AK who play at the rink from nowhere.

Polls do not represent reality whether they project pro or con positions.

[VicksieDo]

Barney's been a hoot the last couple of days! HAAHAA

[WolfLarsen]

"I was never voted Miss Congeniality among my peers.....but they did elect me to the Most Overrated And Underachieving A**wipe To Ever Hold Office. Quite a mouthful. But I am use to a mouthful." - John McCain

[jeffp26]

Barney Frank is a class act, but I am outraged,

Outraged, that he would insult Andy Kaufmann like this!!!!!!!

[desertdweller]

It's kind of like McCain taking credit for putting out the fire on the USS Forrestal

[canobserv]

Apt

[WolfLarsen]

"Senator McCain there has been an accident on the freeway. Do you want to stop by and take credit for the air bags?" - Tucker Bounds

[Ozarks]

Well, McCain did invent the Blackberry!!

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This post was made available thru the efforts of Blackberry , invented by John McCain -

[USA1776]

I just caught the local news while I was waiting in line at the bank. The anchor called the meeting today at the White House a photo-op. So glad he said that last night!

[milo h minderbinder]

Sure enough, now Tucker has claimed that McCain deserves the credit (and that the debate will happen).

At least I guess that means that McCain is going to vote for the bill instead of trying to sabotage it.

[soapington]

I hope you're right Jason - and I hope Barney's not going to get a nasty surprise when his Republican colleagues turn on him and close ranks. Even if they are, as you say, in the tank for Obama, that won't stop Bush sharing his deliberations over the rewritten bill with his good and faithful servant McCain - in other words, delaying the matter for another 24 hours. Thus making McCain look like The Savior of the Economy, and incidentally preventing him from attending the debate.

[Felicty]

BUT...
BUT...
BUT...
he was a POW and lived in a box for five years!

[kjwhite]

Ouch!.... Umm, that's all. Oh, and maybe BWAHAHAHAHA!

We all knew they didn't really need McCain to negotiate this thing, it was 95% done when he announced his "emergency trip" to Washington. I'm respecting Republicans a bit more that even they are saying this was foolish and unnecesary. McCain is making them look bad and Im quite sure they don't like it.

[TheGuide]

Yeah, it's like offering to help with the clean-up when the job is a soda can away from being done.

[kjwhite]

Exactly. the McCain camp doesn't give Americans much credit, do they? This ploy was so obvious, I can't believe they thought we'd fall for it.

Of course, it was done so that McCain could 1) Get out of having to debate Obama in the middle of this mess, especially since McCain's voting record shows that his "de-regulation" stance is why we are in this mess to begin with.

2) so he could try to look like the hero that rushed off to Washington and got everyone singing Kumbaya....

PLEASE!

[canobserv]

Repubs are VERY concerned about down ticket elections...and it is not looking good for them right now...McCain isn't helping

[santamonica39]

McCain only wishes he was effective as our beloved Mighty Mouse!!!!

[RobinSeattle]

Welcome to a new nickname: Mighty Mouse McCain.

Too funny!

[jimme]

Last weekend Obama was on TV saying we can't pass the Bill as is without oversight and discussion.
On Tuesday when McCain was asked a question regarding this crisis all he said was quote,
"I haven't read the Bill yet". WTF ! Not too Presidential in my eyes.