Rest in Peace to a Legendary Massachusetts Politician

Barney Frank entered hospice care due to a serious heart condition and died on Tuesday. He was remembered for a concise description of Republican family-values politics: life begins at conception and ends at birth. The line captured what made him a successful politician, though his approach developed over time. He was known for not tolerating fools and for building many enemies, particularly in the Massachusetts State House. In 1982, he was placed in a district against incumbent Margaret Heckler, and he learned to schmooze voters during the campaign. Over 32 years in Congress, he remained an iconoclast even within the Democratic Party, criticizing Democrats for adopting positions that required drastic social reconstructions beyond what was politically acceptable.

"“Republicans believe that life begins at conception and ends at birth.” For years, I've heard that line, or a paraphrase of it, from dozens of other politicians and even from Lt. Van Buren on Law & Order. It also was a precise miniature of what made Frank a successful politician, although that was a work in progress for a long time."

"“He never suffered fools gladly, and he made a considerable number of enemies in that well-known repository of grudges and revenge, the Massachusetts State House.” In 1982, in an attempt to throttle Frank's career, they threw him into a district against Margaret Heckler, an eccentric, if liberal, Republican. (She co-sponsored both Title IX and the Equal Opportunity Act.) She also was an eight-term incumbent."

"“In his 32-year career in Congress, Frank remained an iconoclast, even within the Democratic Party.” In fact, not long before his death, he gave an interview in which he expressed his opinion that the Democrats had adopted positions that led to “very drastic social reconstructions that go beyond the politically acceptable.”"

"“Over the course of the campaign, Frank learned on the fly how to schmooze the voters, something that never came naturally to him.” I covered that campaign full time. It was a learning experience for me, too. In 1982, in an attempt to throttle Frank's career, they threw him into a district against Margaret Heckler, an eccentric, if liberal, Republican."

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