Once Again, Barney Refuses to Admit Mistakes
Can this man ever admit his mistakes? When a student asks the unhappy Massachusetts Congressman, “How much responsibility, if any, do you have for the financial crisis?” the Democrat proceeds to blame Republicans, labeling the student, lashing out at the “right wing,” but sidestepping his question.
Sees Barney would rather blame the right wing than explain his own actions. To his credit, Frank did acknowledge the Fannie Mae reforms he helped pass in March 2007, but doesn’t address his efforts to thwart earlier Republican-sponsored reforms of the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) when it might have made a difference.
Kudos to this student for calmly challenging the mean-spirited Democrat. I guess he had expected more fawning from the Harvard crowd.
(H/t Reader Peter Hughes for alerting me to this Townhall post.)
UPDATE: Michelle: “His defensive bullying and sputtering and ranting about ‘right-wing attacks’ speaks for itself.”
UP-UPDATE: Calling this a “meltdown,” Glenn thinks Barney sounds “kinda defensive.”
To note (yet again)–Barney’s first impulse is to attack the student asking the question rather than consider his inquiry. And note which one does a better job of keeping his cool. So much in this clip, wish I weren’t so pressed for time today.
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Man, there is no debunked myth that you won’t keep pushing, is there? That’s ok. I know what little right-wing is left (“Just 24 percent of voters identified as Republican when Pew conducted this survey in March, which is roughly as low as that total has ever gotten.” needs someone to blame other than the people who were actually in charge of Congress for 14 of the last 16 years.
Comment by torrentprime — April 7, 2009 @ 6:46 pm - April 7, 2009
Torrentprime, do you really need these kind of reminders?
But we know you think that’s OK, because a gay-sex liberal like yourself has to defend Barney Fag. You can’t do otherwise, because if you did, you would be betraying your sexual orientation and you’d be a bad gay.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — April 7, 2009 @ 7:37 pm - April 7, 2009
Debunked, torrent, um, yeah, so one article taking issue with something debunks it. . . wow, guess then you could site a number of my recent posts to debunk a number of left-wing shibboleths. There are numerous articles which point to the exact opposite conclusion of the one you cited.
I’ll keep your theory in next time you comment to show you how the point you raised has already been debunked.
Oh, and when are you going to start addressing the points I’ve been making, like why Barney chooses to blame others rather than acknowledge his mistakes. And not just about CRA (which I don’t mention in the article) but about the GSEs (which I do). Oh, and addressing Barney’s bullying tactics as a means of dodging the question, you know, as he does in the video linked above.
It amuses me to no end how so many of our critics bypass the points of our posts and use them as vehicles to attack us and Republicans. Kind of like the way Barney Frank answers questions, you know, ignore the issue, attack the person asking the question.
No wonder he’s such a hero to the left. He’s your role model.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — April 7, 2009 @ 8:08 pm - April 7, 2009
I’m thinking… um, never… because tp’s purpose isn’t to debate but to distract attention away from the corruption, incompetence, hypocrisy, cowardice, and depravity of his Obamacrat party.
Comment by V the K — April 7, 2009 @ 8:24 pm - April 7, 2009
Barney Frank does this in every less-than-glowing interview I’ve seen him in. Rather than answer an uncomfortable question, he snidely attacks the questioner, attacks the source, revises history, blames Bush or other GOP people, and NEVER answers the question. Good job, Barney. No one catches on to THAT… ha ha. He’s a disgrace and a bully. The way he acted when grilling the AIG CEO, and practically laughing that AIG families, children included, were getting death threats. He wanted names and addresses of bonus recipients but would NOT guarantee that that information would not be made public. Scary.
The nasty way he treats this calm, well spoken student in this video is repugnant. He’s an elected official who is a servant of the people, not a god! Not royalty! Anyone from Massachusetts should review the YouTube vids of this slimey clown. He’s power hungry and believes he is above the law. His greedy involvement in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac meltdowns are well documented.
Comment by LiberacesPiano — April 7, 2009 @ 8:56 pm - April 7, 2009
tp likes Barney because Rep. Frank is the poster child for Liberal Fascism.
Dissent is squashed, facts are twisted, truth is erased.
Comment by GayPatriot — April 7, 2009 @ 9:00 pm - April 7, 2009
The student that asked the question is a hero (as is the woman who stood up and asked Frank to just answer the question). If only the MSM had that much courage. Barney Frank is a bully in addition to his other faults.
Torrent – whether or not the CRA was a major contributor to the implosion (I think it was) the fact remains that the federal government, through Fannie and Freddie, socialized the risks that investors took on making improvident loans. No one would have lent their own money so recklessly. The roster of people running Fannie and Freddie reads like a Who’s Who of the Democrat Party elite.
For the record, I think the bailouts were bad policy on Bush’s part and they continue to be bad policy. The high-rollers making these bets should have sucked up their losses.
Comment by SoCalRobert — April 7, 2009 @ 9:32 pm - April 7, 2009
Tsk, tsk, torrentprime. Your side won the election. So why do the heathen still rage?
Methinks, saucy boy, ’tis a bitch to now be on permanent defense, n’est-ce pas?
Comment by MarkJ — April 7, 2009 @ 9:35 pm - April 7, 2009
If only the MSM had that much courage. Barney Frank is a bully in addition to his other faults.
Yes, it is striking that our professional journalism elite can’t seem to ask Democrat politicos the tough question. It’s always a Joe the Plumber, or someone in the audience.
Comment by V the K — April 7, 2009 @ 9:54 pm - April 7, 2009
I can’t take any more of Barney Frank. Can someone, please, send me some earplugs. May I send my thanks to the adult, calm attitude of the student. May he have a long and happy life.
Comment by Swampfox — April 7, 2009 @ 10:21 pm - April 7, 2009
I’m embarrassed for Barney the Bumbler. I’m embarrassed for America having a guy like that in such a position. What a worthless bumbling ass. Perhaps he should follow Obama and just use a teleprompter. At least then he might be understandable.
Comment by Vanessa — April 7, 2009 @ 11:42 pm - April 7, 2009
Barney is anything but frank.
Comment by RogerCfromSD — April 8, 2009 @ 2:25 am - April 8, 2009
[...] Once Again, Barney Refuses to Admit Mistakes [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » Why the Left Loves Barney Frank — April 8, 2009 @ 3:01 am - April 8, 2009
But watching him go balistic to a O’Reilly type confrontation is so much funnier.
I could watch that “Sufferin’ Succotash!” all day long.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 8, 2009 @ 4:10 am - April 8, 2009
I wish someone would introduce the Sufferin’ Succotash Bill, just so Barney would have to say it.
Comment by Jim Treacher — April 8, 2009 @ 5:29 am - April 8, 2009
#15 – LOL!
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 8, 2009 @ 12:29 pm - April 8, 2009
V the K:
I read this as “our professional journalism elite asks tough questions to a JTP or someone in the audience” and not as “JTP/audience members ask the tough questions.” It’s pretty pathetic that your comment is accurate according to BOTH interpretations…
Comment by jellibean — April 8, 2009 @ 4:04 pm - April 8, 2009
Well said, SoCalRobert.
Comment by LiberacesPiano — April 8, 2009 @ 6:01 pm - April 8, 2009
Keep the blinders on conservatives cuase you guys are heading into a lake. The kid was trying to make Barney Frank look bad and basically trying to corner him in answering a yes or no question without looking at the whole picture. And I believe Barney did take some responsibiltiy, but could you believe that they edited out. Really, your just going to believe everything that the media is showing you? That’s the thing with Conservatives, there’s only black and white. Maybe things are a lot more complicated and there is not just one way of looking it.
Comment by Leysin — April 9, 2009 @ 2:55 pm - April 9, 2009
[...] The reporter, well, maybe the editor writing the headline did get something right, the mean-spirited man from Massachusetts did lash out — as he often does — and not just against left-wing loonies. [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » If Barney Frank finds its wrong to compare Obama to Hitler, then surely he took issue with his ideological allies who comparied his predecessor to the Nazi — August 19, 2009 @ 8:11 pm - August 19, 2009