Congress has lost its mind...

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by classicman

He said exactly what his handlers told ... err ... paid him to say. Then the bottom fell out.

Or he truly believed that, and erred.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by classicman

his handlers told ... err ... paid him to say

"Selling out is an overrated phenomenon. If selling out paid better, I wouldn't have to be here tonight." Gridiron Dinner, December 5, 2009
-Barney Frank

[SamIam]

Do as I say and not as I do?

James Johnson, the exec in charge of running Fannie in the 90's, was slipperier than an eel. He was adroit in both politics and business, and the way he packaged Fanny to appear vs what it actually was is outrageous. Johnson profited well from his deceits. The man should be in prison. Instead, he now sits on the board of directors for Goldman Sachs. (Occupy Wall Street, anyone?)

When I read the book I mentioned above, "Reckless Endangerment," the thought also occurred to me that Johnson and his criminal corporate pals had pulled the wool over Frank's eyes just as they had fooled so many others.

The thing is that Barney Frank was chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, a powerful committee charged with the oversight of all America's housing and financial services sectors. That's a lot of outfits to keep an eye on, but Fannie and Freddie were big enough and important enough that SOMEONE should have been watching what they were up to. No one was.

This all happened on Barney Frank's watch and his favorite proteges were well rewarded by Johnson and Fannie for Frank's vigorous support.

[classicman]

An article from Salon on Barney. Admittedly Salon is as far left as they come.
Still this is not the most endearing piece written on someone so many see as Mr. Wonderful.

Link

[Lamplighter]

Short of purchasing the book, Reckless Endangement,
I have been reading reviews of it, and surfing for items
about Barney Frank and the F&F's.

There's a lot of talk about the financial crisis, but when it comes to accusations,
there is little or nothing being said to justify labeling Frank as being "on the take"
or causing F&F to fail, or even having a causal role in the financial collapse.

It's clear he drives the GOP and WSJ crazy, but maybe that's not all bad.
The link you cite above is typical in content to what I have read.
Of course, there is the option is to reject the content based upon the source.

To wit:

As Dodd-Frank crept through Congress, it was steadily weakened.
The Senate voted down a ban on a pernicious derivative, naked credit default swaps.
An attack on “too big to fail” — explicit size limitations for financial institutions
— was also kept out of Dodd-Frank,
even though the humongous size of financial institutions made necessary
the bailouts that Congress supposedly despised.
There was no serious limit on executive compensation, even though lust for bonuses
was also a direct cause of the recklessness that nearly sabotaged the economy.
<snip>
Obviously, Frank can’t be faulted for the majority of the shortcomings of Dodd-Frank.
No congressman, no matter how skilled a negotiator, could have made Dodd-Frank
into the market reform mechanism that it was never destined to be.

[classicman]

Of course, there is the option is to reject the content based upon the source.

Its from Salon - They would paint him in the absolute BEST light possible.

[Lamplighter]

That the point ... the option is with the reader.

[classicman]

wait what? Salon is very liberal. I'm not getting your point.

[Lamplighter]

Classic, I'll get back to you... probably by PM

[TheMercenary]

One of Barney Franks greatest legacies will be his relationship to a guy who ran a prostitution ring out of his house.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

One of Barney Franks greatest legacies will be his relationship to a guy who ran a prostitution ring out of his house.

Wikipedia - whether you chose to believe this source or not

In 1985 Frank was still closeted. That year he hired Steve Gobie for sex,
a male prostitute, and they became friends more than sexual partners.[24]
Frank housed Gobie and hired him with personal funds as an aide, housekeeper and driver
and paid for his attorney and court-ordered psychiatrist.[24]
In 1987 Frank kicked Gobie out after he was advised by his landlord that Gobie
kept escorting despite the support and was doing so in the residence.[24][25]

Later that year Gobie's friends convinced him he had a gay male version of Mayflower Madam,
a TV movie they had been watching.[24] In 1989 Gobie tried to initiate a bidding war
for the story between WUSA-TV (Channel 9), the Washington Times, and The Washington Post.[24]
He then gave the story to The Washington Times for nothing, in hopes of getting a book contract.[25]

Amid calls for an investigation Frank asked the House Ethics Committee
to investigate his relationship "in order to insure that the public record is clear."[26]
The Committee found no evidence that Frank had known of or been involved
in the alleged illegal activity and dismissed all of Gobie's more scandalous claims;
they recommended a reprimand for Frank using his congressional office
to fix 33 of Gobie's parking tickets and for misstatements of fact in a memorandum
relating to Gobie's criminal probation record.[27]
The House voted 408–18 to reprimand Frank.[28][29]

The attempts to censure and expel Frank were led by Republican Larry Craig,
whom Frank later criticized for hypocrisy[30] after Craig's own arrest in 2007
for lewd conduct while soliciting gay sex in an airport bathroom.[31][32][33]

Frank won re-election that year with 66 percent of the vote,
and has won by larger margins until the 2010 Mid-term elections
when Frank only won by eleven points.[34]

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

- whether you chose to believe this source or not

I do not. Wiki should not be trusted but for only the basic and benign facts that are completely accepted by all. Frank was a sexual predator and the Dems gave him a pass. Good ridden's to the MoFo.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I do not. Wiki should not be trusted but for only the basic and benign facts that are completely accepted by all. Frank was a sexual predator and the Dems gave him a pass. Good ridden's to the MoFo.

And that's a perfectly good justification for why your character assassination isn't listed in Wikipedia. Such a statement is not basic, not benign, and not accepted by all. You make his point.

I wonder if you have other sources to back up your claim. Do you?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by BigV

And that's a perfectly good justification for why your character assassination isn't listed in Wikipedia. Such a statement is not basic, not benign, and not accepted by all. You make his point.

I wonder if you have other sources to back up your claim. Do you?

People like that fool have legions of followers who manipulate Wiki entries for the very purpose of ensuring the message it delivers. Ask UT about his experience with it. When it comes to controversial statements or one that may cast a high profile person, no less a sitting Congressman, I don't think anything you put up that would be slightly negative would last but a few hours.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I do not. Wiki should not be trusted but for only the basic and benign facts that are completely accepted by all. Frank was a sexual predator and the Dems gave him a pass. Good ridden's to the MoFo.

From Wikipedia's 'What Wikipedia is Not' page:

Scandal mongering, something "heard through the grapevine" or gossip. Articles and content about living people are required to meet an especially high standard, as they may otherwise be libellous or infringe the subjects' right to privacy. Articles should not be written purely to attack the reputation of another person.

It seems a little unfair to say that wikipedia 'cannot be trusted' for things that aren't 'basic benign facts that are completely accepted by all' when that is its stated remit. Perhaps better to say that Wikipedia is not there to provide anything but the basic facts as accepted by all, and cannot speak to matters beyond that.