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Barney Frank: Thank You For Not Asking
Few members of Congress are as outwardly pugnacious, confrontational, witty, acid-tongued and downright quotable -- and happy to admit all of the above -- as Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).
Frank is now the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, giving him plenty of power and, presumably, few reasons to be bitter. When Capitol Briefing accidentally bumped into Frank on the first day of the 110th Congress in the ornate Speaker's Lobby off the House floor, he politely accepted an apology and declared that almost nothing could make the new chairman unhappy. A stunned Democratic staffer who, having seen Frank's unpleasantries up close for years, saw the exchange and wondered if Frank had turned over a new leaf in his demeanor.
Maybe he did, but that ended recently when Frank hit the gym and ruptured a tendon in his left arm. Today, he walked off the floor and into the Speaker's Lobby sporting a cast covering almost his entire left arm, wrapped in a blue sling.
Frankly, he's tired of telling people about what happened -- so tired that he instructed his staff to send out a dear-colleague e-mail to every Democratic chief of staff explaining what happened.
Please, don't ask any questions, follow-up questions or anything else. Chairman Frank won't answer. Read below.
_____________________________________________
From: Freitas, Bruno
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 2:36 PM
Subject: Message For Your Boss From Congressman Frank
May 15, 2007
Dear Colleague:
I appreciate the concern expressed by many about why my arm is in a sling. In order to avoid having to repeat the same conversation, I am sending out this Dear Colleague.
I ruptured a tendon in my left arm using a curling machine in a gym, and I had it surgically repaired yesterday at Bethesda Naval Hospital. I'll be using the sling for a week or two, but I feel fine.
Thanks for not asking.
BARNEY FRANK
By Paul Kane |
May 15, 2007; 4:20 PM ET
House
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Posted by: Patrick Huss | May 15, 2007 7:41 PM
Thank God for no nonsense Barney!
Posted by: Sumner Kaplan | May 16, 2007 1:38 PM
Thank God for no nonsense Barney!
Posted by: Sumner Kaplan | May 16, 2007 1:38 PM
Feel better, Congressman Frank. The House cannot function, manage, move forward without you.
Posted by: mreen1948@yahoo.com | May 16, 2007 8:59 PM
Feel better, Congressman Frank. The House cannot function, manage, move forward without you.
Posted by: mreen1948@yahoo.com | May 16, 2007 8:59 PM
Better to have your arm in a sling than to be like Bush, who has his ass in a sling.
Posted by: Doug | May 18, 2007 1:49 AM
I've always loved Mr. Frank. He speaks his mind and watches out for the interests of ordinary citizens.
Hope he's around for many, many more terms, and that more like him will be elected.
Posted by: Aroc | May 18, 2007 12:21 PM
I like the guy.
He's blunt, to the point and says what he thinks needs to be said.
In a world of phonies, he's real.
Of course, I disagree with almost everything he stands for, but I still like him.
Posted by: Steve | May 18, 2007 10:44 PM
Repiared free of charge on the tax payers dime at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. Pay like everyone else.
Posted by: Larry Wilkerson | May 18, 2007 11:19 PM
I guess this is sort of like "Don't ask, don't tell." He probably can't look anyone in the eye and tell them he did this exercising. Bush doesn't need a sling on his ass or anywhere else, thank you. HE happens to be disciplined and physically fit.
Posted by: Kelly Pontiere | May 18, 2007 11:46 PM
Pay like everyone else? Are you kidding? Who pays the whole cost of their health care? Cong. Frank is entitled to the same health benefits, funded in whole or part by his employer, as other federal and private sector employees. Unless you 1) don't have employer funded health insurance, 2) have never taken nor intend to take a taxpayer's dime in medicare, social security or the like, and 3) have never used a tax loophole to reduce your taxes and raise mine, then you have no right to complain about this use of taxpayer money. Why not instead just be glad he was using a gym in the first place and that he wasn't seriously injured?
Posted by: Scott Hansen | May 19, 2007 12:54 AM
Mr Frank is renonwn for not answering questions about how his life (read character) has collided with public interest in the past.
Don't ask, don't tell? That's not enough for Frank. He wants-- don't ask and adore me for how I choose to be!
Posted by: Guy Macher | May 19, 2007 9:06 AM
then we wont ask you how your ass feels after your next homosexual caper.
This guy is a total piece of S#!T
Posted by: bill | May 19, 2007 9:09 AM
He's a meat gazer.
Posted by: Tom | May 19, 2007 3:20 PM
Only the people of the commie er commonwealth could ellect someone this crazy
Posted by: Aaron | May 19, 2007 4:54 PM
Frankeater likely ruptured his arm hurling human waste out of the brothel/massage parlor he runs out of his townhouse on the public dime. For those who think this is crass, look it up. For Rosie, Google it!
Posted by: Niles Wonder | May 19, 2007 7:56 PM
The right wing nuts are so filled with anger and hatred they seem to be in a perpetual rage. Cool it guys or you're going to have a coronary.
Posted by: afgail | May 20, 2007 4:08 AM
The right wing nuts are so filled with anger and hatred they seem to be in a perpetual rage. Cool it guys or you're going to have a coronary.
Posted by: afgail | May 20, 2007 4:08 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Congressman Frank is more than just his name, its an apt description.