CNN reported this morning that Congressman Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat, will be announcing he will not be seeking re-election in 2012. Mr. Frank will discuss the issue further at a 1 pm press conference today in his district.
The 16 term liberal had to fight an unusually tough campaign during the 2010 mid-terms against Republican challenger Sean Bielat. Although, Rep. Frank won his re-election 54 percent to 43 percent, he still needed to take out a loan to help finance his campaign.
Mr. Frank’s retirement from office may not just be a sign of his frustration that his party is no longer in the majority in the lower chamber. Congressman Frank has been candid about his frustration with the Obama WHite House as well.
In August of this year, The Hill reported the Massachusetts lawmaker was critical of President Obama :
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) called the president’s assurances “dumb” and complained last August that Democrats and Obama had been saddled with a “false prediction.”
“President Obama, whom I greatly admire … when the economic recovery bill — we’re supposed to call it the ‘recovery bill,’ not the ‘stimulus’ bill; that’s what the focus groups tell us — he predicted or his aides predicted at the time that if it passed, unemployment would get under 8 percent,” Frank said. “That was a dumb thing to do.”
This leaves Frank’s seat open and many will wonder if Mr. Bielat will try again for Rep. Frank’s soon to be open Congressional seat. More to come on that.
