Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) thought President Obama was making a "mistake" in pressing for healthcare reform in 2010 and urged the White House to back off after Democrats lost their 60-seat majority in the Senate, the congressman tells New York magazine. "I think we paid a terrible price for healthcare," Frank told the magazine in a lengthy interview as he prepares to retire at the end of his 16th term. "I would not have pushed it as hard. As a matter of fact, after [Sen.] Scott Brown [R-Mass.] won [in January 2010], I suggested going back. I would have started with financial reform, but certainly not healthcare."
Obamacare likely cost Democrats the House in 2010, and it continues to plague the re-election prospects of the man whose name it bears, due to its enduring unpopularity. I'm particularly amused by how the soon-to-be former Congressman now says he (privately, of course) warned Obama about this misbegotten endeavor from the get-go, patting himself on the back for his retrospective wisdom. Yes, because Barney Frank has established himself as an accomplished soothsayer regarding impending political calamity:
Well then. At least Frank wasn't tasked with co-authoring the Byzantine piece of legislation ostensibly designed to help prevent the type of collapse he'd previously insisted was never going to happen. And at least he wasn't forcefully arguing against Republican-proposed regulations of a GSE that fueled the financial meltdown while his partner was on its payroll. If he were responsible those sorts of shameless acts, I'm sure he'd keep his mouth shut right about now and fade inconspicuously into retirement. Right? The good news for Frank is that even on his way out the door, he's failed to crack the "least popular member of Congress" roster. The top honor in the category remains reserved for a very special lady:
In Boehner's case, 37% hold him in a favorable view, the highest, according to Rasmussen. How shall we put this minor achievement? The next least favorable congressional leader is Mitch McConnell, Senate Republican leader from Kentucky. He's followed closely in tiny favorables by Nancy Pelosi at 31%, trailed by fellow grumpy Democrat Harry "Don't You Dare Call Me Happy" Reid with only 27% favorable.
On the other side of the like scale, Pelosi is the easy winner of the most unfavorable rating, pulling away with nearly two-out-of-three (60%), and trailed by, of course, another Democrat, Reid with 48% unfavorable. Next highest unfavorable is Boehner at 42% with McConnell the winner of sorts of least disliked at 36% unfavorable.
Don't forget, she wants her gavel back. I'll leave you with a fun clip highlighting healthcare prophet Rep. Frank's genuine view of the issue:
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