Remember the game ‘Ten minutes in heaven’?
If we were locked in a dark closet together for ten minutes, no consequences and no questions asked, what would you do with me?
Comment and you’ll get a comment back, but then you have to post this in your own journal to see what others would do with you. 😉
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So, this is probably not the most expected of choices, but I’ve gotta say that I wish more Democrats would show the same kind of attitude as Congressman Barney Frank from the 4th District Massachusetts. While he’s been elected by huge margins time and time again since he first got into the House in 1982 (which means he was elected about three weeks before I was born), he’s really made a name for himself on the national stage since this banking crisis because he’s Chairman of the House Financial Services committee.
Now, let’s look at the virtues of this particular elected official:
1. This man is the second openly gay member of the House ever (the first being Gerry Studds who was outed rather than coming out himself). While it probably wasn’t as hard as Rep. Studds’s effort, it still takes a lot to come out publically in a political office. This is even more impressive when you consider the viciousness with which he was pursued during the 1990 Steve Gobie scandal which, ironically, was lead by an opponent who was later involved in his own gay sex scandal.
2. The man is just a badass when it comes to using the power of the majority. I loved watching him talking to the CEO of AIG who said he would only provide Congress the names of their executives that received unearned bonuses if they would be kept confidential and Frank refused. More to the point, he then threatened to subpoena the names. He’s been a strong voice throughout this crisis, he continues to press hard and make a point of representing the outrage of the American people.
3. The guy interviews like a fiend. He’s as entertaining in interviews as he is on the House floor grilling business executives. He’s intelligent, well-spoken, well-read, and aware of the situations he’s facing. I really enjoy seeing him speak, and his voice is so distinctive. It’s actually somewhat comforting to hear Barney Frank calling company CEOs names. I feel like the government actually wants to make sure these guys don’t get away with this stuff.
4. I agree with most of his politics. He was one of three Representatives to oppose the Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act which, while I like the sentiment, restricts free speech because we’re annoyed by what people have to say. He is a staunch supporter of First Amendment Rights. He’s, of course, behind LGBT issues. He believes in medical marijuana and online gambling rights. He’s pro-choice and agrees with the military that their budget needs to get cut and that other elements of government should be doing some of the foreign relations work.
There are many reasons to like this particular Congressman. I’d like to see more Democrats exhibit the same level of sheer gumption that he’s been exhibiting in the past couple of weeks alone. Let’s face it, Barney Frank has balls. He’s aware that his party is in power and gaining popularity by the day and has absolutely no fear of doing exactly what the country wants him to do. Part of this stems from basically having a safe seat, but that wasn’t always the case and his career shows a genuine lack of political caution. Top that off with the time he spent as a teacher, and you have a recipe for heroism the likes of which I rarely see.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet my hero, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA).
Kaoru's Complete Waste of Time 