Barney Frank was involved in a sex scandal in the 1980's - why did he get a pass?

[devilgrrl]

:popcorn:

[Turbineguy]

1. The repubs were less vicious then?

And the Democrats helped them less.

[JI7]

5. Larry Craig tried to get Frank kicked out of Congress

[Broderick]

2. He wasn't involved.

Your facts are wrong. That is a right wing talking point.

[nomb]

3. He got a pass? That's what that millstone of innuendo around his neck is called? n/t

[solara]

4. Also, that was before our country devolved into hate consciousness..before hate radio

before the politics of fear & self-righteousness ( also self-loathing) grabbed hold -

:shrug:

[JI7]

6. he didn't get a pass, there was some vote against him , also they investigated

and found he wasn't involved in what his former partner had been doing.

[elocs]

7. Is life fair? Are people's and politicians' actions always consistent throughout the decades?

Is the political landscape of 2011 the same as in the 1980s?

[pnwmom]

8. This is just a guess

but maybe when the shit hit the fan (and there was some, truly), his first reaction wasn't to lie to House leadership?

[Warpy]

9. Well, it was a bit different

Frank was the innocent party. His roommate was the one running a gay escort service out of the apartment without Frank's knowledge. Frank was a workaholic who was rarely home, although he knew that Gobie (the roommate) had a troubled history and paid for his court ordered therapist. Both men said they were friends and never lovers.

The right wing really tried to get him out of office through guilt by association but the good people of his district in Mass. weren't buying a word of it and have reelected him ever since. The barrage of sickening propaganda from the right would have put a rat off a garbage truck.

I had the pleasure of voting for him in one election, myself, and that was after the "scandal."

Here's his bio and it should give you a clue why he was kept in office: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Frank

His district is one of the wealthier areas although there are a few slummy areas I could afford. I didn't like the commute so I was only there for one election.

[devilgrrl]

12. Thank you for that.

At least there's a few sane people here.

[Broderick]

13. Thanks for that synopsis

I just knew the facts were wrong, and was too lazy to do research. Long day.

[brooklynite]

10. Social Networking...digitial cameras...

Comparing today's scandals to those of 30-40 years ago is pointless.

[mochajava666]

11. I've always wondered why he got a pass

Wasn't his significant other turning tricks and selling drugs out of his house? That's what I remember, anyway.

Maybe his banking and corporatist ties kept him out of the death spiral that usually happens in cases loaded with that much scandal.

At the time, I thought there was no way he would survive, but then again I don't see how Al Sharpton survives the Tawana Brawley incident, which IMHO, he has blood on his hands on that one. There were riots over that fraudulent case, and he knew it was a lie, but went ahead anyway to gain fame and fortune.

And Clinton gets impeached over a BJ, yet war crimes like torture are off the table. BTW, Obama has blood on his hands on that one for "looking ahead". Covering up war crimes is an impeachable offense.

BTW, I like Barney Frank overall, and Obama, too. Sharpton, not so much, although I love to hear him speak, and almost always support his views.

[Rageneau]

15. I think it was his boy-toy, not his significant other...

who was using Barney's place to set up trysts. As I understood it then (and still believe) Barney did not break the law, nor was he aware of what his new paramour was doing. He was guilty only of being an infatuated old fool -- something many men are, both gay and straight.

[jaysunb]

14. No internets or social media. n/t

[hyphenate]

16. I suppose I should remember this

but I don't. I have two or so responces, though.

The first answer is simple: Tip O'Neil

The second is: He's from Massachusetts, where true maverick liberals are praised, not destroyed.



If nothing else, Frank is quite beloved in his district, and I'm sure they would have stuck with him, regardless of what others said about him.

[TheKentuckian]

17. The Turd Way influence was much less and millions of natural Republicans had not

jumped the fence to wreck our party.

[ecstatic]

18. I think our culture has changed since the Frank and Clinton scandals

Just like we've changed on other issues--race, female sexuality, gay rights, etc. Then again, that doesn't explain why some repub offenders are still in office...

[customerserviceguy]

19. He managed to have it over with in the mid-1980's

By the 1990's, sexual scandal was considered juicy by the mainstream media. I doubt he would have had a similar outcome in this last decade.

Besides, once your constituents re-elect you, it's considered over, for the most part.