Barney Frank Survives Republican Threat To Win Reelection

BOSTON — U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, a favorite target of conservatives, is going back to Washington for a 16th term after beating back one of the toughest re-election campaigns of his nearly three decades in office.

Voters in Massachusetts rejected a GOP challenge from political newcomer Sean Bielat (BEE'-lat).

Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, had emerged as one of Capitol Hill's most powerful Democrats while shepherding both the Wall Street overhaul bill and one of the nation's most sweeping financial regulatory bills through the House.

That role helped make the 70-year-old a lightning rod for conservatives. Republicans gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Bielat, a 35-year-old businessman and former U.S. Marine.

Comments

[ABQ-Mike]

08:37 PM on 11/29/2010

I was quite surprised to read that Barney Frank had decided to resign from Congress especially having just won in the recent mid-term elections but I guess he has his reasons...

http://bringbackamerica.org/2010/11/26/barney-frank-resigns-from-congress/comment-page-1/

[Jayne Stahl]

12:14 AM on 11/05/2010

Whew.... thank gawd, something to celebrate from an otherwise miserable election.

Barney also remembers the 1994 midterm nightmare, the "Republican revolution," and is a survivor of that bloodletting as is Bill Clinton.

Barney and Barbara Lee will hold down the fort, and expose the hypocrisy of deficit hawks who want to cut everything but defense, and who speak about smaller government while having government reach deeper and deeper into the pockets of working men and women.

Onward to certain victory in 2012.

[FlamingLibrul]

07:16 PM on 11/03/2010

What would the wingnuts do without Barney Frank around, to blame for the entire financial crisis, and hurl anti-gay slurs at? You know they miss being able to vent righteous rage at ACORN- although some forget it went bankrupt and still demand an end to federal funding...

[Gary Berman]

10:58 AM on 11/03/2010

Once again, PROUD to be from Massachusetts. Outside money does not always win elections. No major Republican victories here...

[Totto]

12:36 PM on 11/03/2010

Hooray! F&F! Hope for Oregon!

[DesertShores]

02:11 PM on 11/03/2010

This is a result of gerrymandering and a small district. Most places he would not get elected as dog catcher.

[FlamingLibrul]

07:19 PM on 11/03/2010

I would love for you to prove your hot-air emission with actual facts. Since you just pulled your contribution from, most likely, something you heard a foxbot talking-bobblehead say, I'm not actually expecting any.

[Harbinger08]

02:19 PM on 11/06/2010

Dog catcher? I'm pretty sure you have Barney confused with Christine O'Donnell.

[radmo]

10:40 AM on 11/03/2010

Too bad. A golden opportunity has been missed. One of the prime architects of our current economic mess continues to get re-elected......thank you Massachusetts. You almost make California look sane.

[tamedbytechnology]

11:11 AM on 11/03/2010

Why do you say that? I didnt know GW Bush was running for anything in MA, Or was it Hank Paulson, I must have missed that, thanks for your insite.

[radmo]

02:04 PM on 11/03/2010

Not a problem. Here's a couple of links to ponder:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/13/housing-bubble-subprime-opinions-contributo­rs_0216_pe­ter_wallis­on_edward_­pinto.html

http://www.zimbio.com/Freddie+Mac/articles/423/Barney+Frank+Chuck+Schumer+Role+Fannie+Mae

[Patriot86]

11:42 AM on 11/03/2010

What, Barney does not work at Goldmans...his last name is not Bush or Paulson...the the real culprits...too bad for you...and hey thanks for the Tea party candidates with out economy you should have the Senate but you don't...unelectable tea party types save us...

[radmo]

02:08 PM on 11/03/2010

Didn't have anything to do with tea party candidates, electable or otherwise. However, you are welcome anyway. In any event, as with the above comment, here are a couple of links to take a peek at:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/13/housing-bubble-subprime-opinions-contributors_0216_pe­ter_wallis­on_edward_­pinto.html

http://www.zimbio.com/Freddie+Mac/articles/423/Barney+Frank+Chuck+Schumer+Role+Fannie+Mae

[LazloTu]

10:33 AM on 11/03/2010

Fantastic !

Congrats to Barney, one of the very sharpest knives in the drawer....... ;)

[Totto]

12:37 PM on 11/03/2010

Absolutely! F&F!

[LazloTu]

09:46 AM on 11/04/2010

And right back atcha! Have a great day!

[thepoliticalcat]

02:45 PM on 11/03/2010

Totally. Yay Barney Frank! I love how the media are spinning this election, BTW. Yes, Republicans took the House. But the te@b@ggers proved themselves to be poison at the polls. Despite all their caterwauling about how they were going to "take back are country," the only two of their candidates who made it were Rand Paul and Nikki Haley. And Scary Failin' haz a MAD because her two favest candidates, Joe Miller and Christine O'Donnell, literally had their bee hinds kicked.

[LazloTu]

09:54 AM on 11/04/2010

Yep, the tgags were spanked, for the most paart. And I cannot wait until the moronic and pathetic Rand Paul, after his nauseating 'speech' finds himself in a series of humiliating encounters with 'real' folks in Congress.
I really feel some great satisfaction (and relief) that the angle disintegrated in Nevada!!
Time now for the 'good guys' to regroup and prepare to dismantle the 'corrupt bastards club'....... !!!
F&F, friend........

[Weaziller]

10:24 AM on 11/03/2010

I'm so proud to be from Massachusetts and a resident of New York! Love my blue states!

[tiotom77]

10:24 AM on 11/03/2010

Barney Frank should sit in the back of the Chamber and say nothing..
He's lucky he's not unemployed, like all the people who trusted him!

[spiderbucket]

10:22 AM on 11/03/2010

I'm with the Left generally, but would not mind seeing career politicians like Frank and Reid have to get real jobs.

[cloudmaker]

10:17 AM on 11/03/2010

I think it's time for me to move back from redneck Florida to sane, sensible Massachusetts.

[abbienormal]

10:32 AM on 11/03/2010

Florida is out of control.

[TeeSC]

07:34 PM on 11/03/2010

Is that not the truth!!!!

[mybeep1]

10:13 AM on 11/03/2010

Barney Frank never took responsibility for the chair that he held since 2006 and the committee which he served long before getting the chair. Shamelessly blaming Bush and republicans for the financial meltdown of Fannie and Freddie for whom he was the lead overseer. There is always enough blame to go around but Barney acted like he was responsible for nothing!!!

[lldem1]

10:08 AM on 11/03/2010

Now let's hope he retires and lets a real democrat hold his seat.
Goodbye liberal ideology.
However. I do give him credit for saying freddie was a bad idea and that he'll have to rethink entitlements.

[WOODSTOCKER51]

10:07 AM on 11/03/2010

..LOOKS LIKE ALL THOSE "PRO BROWN TEABAGGERS".......HAD A TASTE OF THEIR OWN KIND...AND WHAT A LOAD OF POOP HE IS....AND DECIDED TO GO BACK TO BARNEY.

[The Power To Unelect]

09:57 AM on 11/03/2010

Unfortunatly..Barney Frank is a classic example of the cancer that has overtaken the Democratic party.

A corrupt politician who serves Wall Street-Bankers and wealthy special interests...but who claims to be for the people.

[AwShucks]

09:57 AM on 11/03/2010

Clearly you're not from Massachusetts. Sad.

[Randomizer]

10:00 AM on 11/03/2010

The problem is that FEW if not anyone in the House understands banking issues. What is your solution? I love it when I hear the whiff of corruption declared but it never seems to come with a workable plan or an example from our past that cuts against the idea of "corruption".

[The Power To Unelect]

10:05 AM on 11/03/2010

Oh my.... what a grand excuse.

99% of all Americans "understand" banking issues... it's not hard to understand at all.

The real problem is we keep re-electing the same corrupt politicians over and over and over..... for decades.

The two party system is a failure.

[mybeep1]

10:17 AM on 11/03/2010

Hey Random, you are asking a poster "what is your solution"? Come on. As if a box on HuffPost can capture an alternative plan. The fact is Barney was leader of the committee overseeing the banks and Fannie and Freddie since 2006 and he helped in a large way allow the GSE's to overlend. He just never owned up to it. Too bad he doesn't get a real job where failure means something.

[Bystander]

09:34 AM on 11/03/2010

One of the many benefits of Republicans taking control of the House is replacement of committee chairs, like Frank, with Republicans.

[HippieDippieWeatherman]

09:37 AM on 11/03/2010

How is rubber-stamping any bankster corporate theft initiative an improvement?

[Bystander]

05:00 PM on 11/04/2010

Good point! Such as Barney Frank's rubber-stamping of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Those where whoppers!

[DelKat]

10:01 AM on 11/03/2010

Sure, because the republicans are SO good at regulating banks? You don't bite the hand that feeds you.and republicans are being plenty fed.

[WOODSTOCKER51]

10:09 AM on 11/03/2010

..YES.RETHUGS AND THE GLASS/STEAGAL ACT........THE REGULATIONS THAT STOPPED BANKS FROM DOING.EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID....WRECK THE WORLDS ECONOMYS.....

[Bystander]

10:14 AM on 11/03/2010

Barney and other liberals did such a great job of regulating Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Go back to sleep!