Sunday, December 4, 2011

Barney Frank's "Gratuitous Nastiness" Won't be Missed




When Barney Frank announced his retirement, it was as if Christmas came early. How many times have we watched this nasty excuse of a human being berate his constituents and political opponents? I’ve often wondered about his district. What kind of people would allow a man of such low character to represent them in Washington D.C. for 32 years?

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Jeff Jacoby outlining a career of “gratuitous nastiness”:

Frank has long been "one of the most notorious bullies" on Capitol Hill, remarked Dana Milbank in The Washington Post. The Massachusetts Democrat will be remembered not just for his left-wing politics or as the first openly gay member of Congress, but also for his "gratuitous nastiness," as Milbank put it – the public tongue-lashings, the spiteful mockery, the caustic abuse of aides, the almost routine willingness to tell people how stupid they are. This isn't just impatience; Frank plainly takes a certain pleasure in publicly humiliating his victims. It isn't hard to find stories of Frank berating someone to the point of tears. But I have never heard of him apologizing for it afterward.

Ironically – or maybe it's just human nature – Barney Frank has no trouble excoriating in others the ugly behavior to which he so often resorts. He has been unsparing toward Newt Gingrich, for example,
describing him as having "made a career out of attacking people around here and trying to rip them apart." I have heard him caution his allies on the left about the importance of "showing a bit of respect for cultural values with which you disagree," and admonishing them not to "call people bigots and fools just because you disagree with them."

But when Frank – who often condemns the sour tone in Washington and Congress -- was politely asked on NBC's "Today" show last week whether he might have contributed to the bitterness in the Capitol, his answer was no. Instead,
he nastily scolded the anchor for her "negative approach."


And for good measure, here is an example of Barney’s contempt for his constituents:









































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