Barney Frank Comments on Boston Bombing Response: VIDEO

Former Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) spoke with CNN's Starting Point about the response in Boston:

"In this terrible situation, let's be very grateful that we had a well-funded, functioning government. It is very fashionable in America, has been for some time, to criticize government, to belittle public employees, talk about their pensions, talk about what people think is their excessive health care,. Here we saw government in two ways perform very well...No tax cut would have helped us deal with this or will help us recover. This is very expensive."

Added Frank: "This is an example of why we need - if we want to be a civilized people - to put some of our resources into a common pool so we are able to deal with this, and to deal with it, you can't simply be responsive once it happens."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Barney Frank Not Picked as Interim Massachusetts Senator, is 'Troubled' by How it Went Down

Former Congressman Barney Frank, who made known his desire to be picked as interim U.S. Senator from Massachusetts replacing John Kerry, was passed over by Governor Deval Patrick in favor of Patrick's former chief of staff William "Mo" Cowan.

Frank told the Washington Blade he had concerns about the process:

“But let me tell you, there was one thing that sort of troubled me in the discussion about it — nobody was particularly quoted; they attributed something to governor’s office and others — was that the governor would want to appoint someone who’s either a minority or a woman,” Frank added. “And what troubled me is the question of LGBT people was just kind of swept out. I’ve never asked for any appointment based on me being gay, but when they begin talk about the importance of diversity and leave us out, that troubles me.”

While Cowan’s appointment was hailed a milestone for diversity in terms of race because he’s black, Frank said the lack of attention to being LGBT as a diversity factor suggests those involved with the decision were unaware of President Obama’s inaugural address in which he mentioned the 1969 Stonewall riots in the same line as other iconic civil rights moments.

“It’s almost as if some people didn’t listen to the president when he said, ‘Seneca, Stonewall and Selma,’ and didn’t hear the Stonewall part,” Frank said.

Barney Frank to Make Broadway Debut: VIDEO

Former congressman Barney Frank will make his stage debut on Saturday, February 2 in Fiorello!, the opening musical of New York City Center's Encores! 20th Anniversary season, Broadway World reports:

Perhaps to prepare for his possible role as United States Senator, Frank will make his stage debut in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Fiorello!, the story of New York City's Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia's rise from an immigrant's son to the feisty congressman whose guts and determination to fight corruption brought down the crooked Tammany Hall political machine. Frank will play an outspoken senator who disagrees with LaGuardia's policies.

Mr. Frank will join cast members Kate Baldwin, Jeremy Bobb, Ray DeMattis, Erin Dilly, Jenn Gambatese, Adam Heller, Shuler Hensley, Richard Ruiz, Danny Rutigliano, Andrew Samonsky, Emily Skinner and Cheryl Stern as Fiorello LaGuardia. Fiorello! is directed by Gary Griffin with choreography by Alex Sanchez and music direction by Rob Berman. The show will run for seven performances from January 30 - February 3 at New York City Center.

Watch a teaser for the show, AFTER THE JUMP...

Log Cabin Republicans Release Full-Page 'Washington Post' Ad Attacking Chuck Hagel on Gay Rights: PHOTO

The Log Cabin Republicans have taken out their second full-page ad, this time in the Washington Post, attacking expected Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel on his gay rights record. The ad also addresses Hagel's recent apology for anti-gay remarks, calling it "too little, too late."

Check out Log Cabin Republicans' second ad, below. See the first one, from the NYT, here.

Said Gregory T. Angelo, Interim Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans, in a press release:

"At Chuck Hagel's request, we looked into the 'totality' of his public record on gay rights, and it did nothing to assuage our concerns that his anti-gay record makes him the wrong choice to oversee the ongoing integration of gays and lesbians in the military. Until his name surfaced as a potential nominee for Secretary of Defense, he has stood firmly and aggressively against not only gay marriage, but also against gay people in general. Log Cabin Republicans helped lead the charge to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and is extremely invested in seeing that we don't lose any ground due to a lack of sincere commitment to gay people and their families on the part of the incoming Defense Secretary."

Interestingly, the extremist anti-gay hate group American Family Association opposes Hagel because he is too pro-gay!

Meanwhile, Rick Jacobs, head of the Courage Campaign and a prominent LGBT activist, is supportive of the Hagel nomination, writing in the HuffPost today:

"Vietnam veteran and former Senator Chuck Hagel is the ideal man to serve as Secretary of Defense. In the small world category, I've known him for over 30 years. In all of that time, I have consistently regarded him as a man of high moral character who puts service and honesty ahead of politics and ambition....And let's be clear about one thing: no one trying to derail his nomination attacks his qualifications. Instead, they seek to score political points and/or act at the behest of powerful special interests by denying the president his choice as defense chief. This sort of political jockeying disgusts the public, further erodes public faith in Washington and weakens our country."

And former Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) is "dialing back" his opposition to Hagel, according to the Globe:

“I was hoping the president wouldn’t nominate him,” Frank told the Globe today. Although he retired from the House last week after 32 years, Frank remains a prominent gay rights spokesman and has also publicly asked Governor Deval Patrick to appoint him as the interim successor should Senator John F. Kerry resign to become secretary of state.

Were that to happen, it would likely be after any confirmation vote on Hagel.

“As much as I regret what Hagel said, and resent what he said, the question now is going to be Afghanistan and scaling back the military,” Frank said. “In terms of the policy stuff, if he would be rejected [by the Senate], it would be a setback for those things.” ...

“With the attack coming out of the right, I hope he gets confirmed,” Frank said today.

Hagel

Barney Frank Wants to Return to Washington as Senator: VIDEO

Barney Frank isn't finished, Politico reports:

Barney Frank, one day out of Congress, said on Friday that he has asked Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to send him back as an interim senator when Sen. John Kerry becomes secretary of state.

“A month ago, or a few weeks ago, I said I wasn’t interested,” Frank said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “It was kind of like you’re about to graduate, and they said: ‘You gotta go to summer school.’ But [the fiscal cliff deal] now means that February, March and April are going to be among the most important months in American financial history.”

He added, “I’ve told the governor I would now like, frankly, to do that [serve as interim senator].”

Franks says he won't run for Kerry's seat in a summer special election.

Yesterday, he appeared on MSNBC on his final day as a Congressman, and talked about the 112th Congress, the worst ever.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Barney Frank Strongly Opposes Chuck Hagel For Defense Secretary

Outgoing Congressman Barney Frank wants to make clear before he leaves Washingnton that he's completely against President Obama nominating former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel as the next Defense Secretary.

From Frank's office:

Then-Senator Hagel’s aggressively bigoted opposition to President Clinton’s naming the first openly gay Ambassador in U.S. history was not, as Sen. Hagel now claims, an aberration.  He voted consistently against fairness for LGBT people and there does not seem to be any evidence prior to his effort to become Secretary of Defense of any apology or retraction of his attack on James Hormel.  And to those of us who admire and respect Mr. Hormel, Sen. Hagel’s description of him as aggressive can only mean that the Senator strongly objected to Hormel’s reasoned, civil advocacy for LGBT people.

I cannot think of any other minority group in the U.S. today where such a negative statement and action made in 1998 would not be an obstacle to a major Presidential appointment.

The more you know.