Political Ruminations

Quote of the Day: Barney Frank on Mitt Romney

Rep. Barney Frank (R-MA) had nothing positive to say about former Massachusetts governor and current GOP front-runner Mitt Romney when asked for an opinion by MSNBC today:

“Usually, when a politician shifts position to a certain group, they don't mind, people are usually tolerant of people who flop toward them, but Mitt Romney has been so obvious in his absolute lack of principle that even the people who he temporarily says ‘I agree with you’ are not reassured because they understand that
when the wind blows he will go.

There is literally not a public policy that he has not advocated one side of at one time and one side at the other. I have never seen a major political figure so absolutely unburdened by any commitment to any principle whatsoever.”

Morning Quote: A War of Words Between Nancy Pelosi & Newt Gingrich

- Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) spoke with TPM about the possibility of Newt Gingrich as the GOP’s nominee, and didn’t hide Democratic delight at the idea of running against Newt Gingrich:

“I like Barney Frank’s quote the best, where he said ‘I never thought I’d live such a good life that I would see Newt Gingrich be the nominee of the Republican party.’ That quote I think spoke for a lot of us.

One of these days we’ll have a conversation about Newt Gingrich. I know a lot about him. I served on the investigative committee that investigated him, four of us locked in a room in an undisclosed location for a year. A thousand pages of his stuff. ”

- Gingrich’s response to Leader Pelosi:

“I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi for what I regard as an early Christmas gift.

That’s a fundamental violation of the rules of the House and I would hope that members would immediately file charges against her the second she does it.”

- Later in the day, via TPM:

Pelosi To Newt: I Don't Need Secret Documents To Embarrass You

When it comes to the Newt Gingrich v Nancy Pelosi war of words that erupted today, Pelosi’s office told Brian Beutler that Pelosi wasn’t talking about dinging Gingrich with some secret cache of documents, but rather the ethics report from the 1990s that’s already available online.

“Leader Pelosi was clearly referring to the extensive amount of information that is in the public record, including the comprehensive committee report with which the public may not be fully aware,” Pelosi’s spokesperson said.

Oh, the drama.....

Morning Quote: Barney Frank

“It consists half of people who think like Michele Bachmann and half of people who are afraid of losing a primary to people who think like Michele Bachmann, and that leaves very little room to work things out.”

- Liberal icon, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), in a very succinct statement on the current state of the Republican majority House, a primary factor in his decision not to run again.

Morning Quote: Rep. Barney Frank

Background from the Boston Globe:

It all started in October, when Gingrich during a GOP debate suggested that Frank should be imprisoned for his role in the subprime mortgage crisis. “If you want to put people in jail ... you ought to start with Barney Frank and Chris Dodd,” he said, referring to the Newton Democrat and the US senator from Connecticut. Then, following a report by Bloomberg News about Gingrich’s consulting fees from the mortgage agency, Frank today denounced Gingrich as “fundamentally intellectually dishonest.”

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“He’s a man with no ethical core whatsoever. There are a number of conservatives whom I respect … Newt’s just never had any principles, so no I’m not surprised about this at all.”

- Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) denounces GOP presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich.