The Bay State’s congressional delegation hauled in nearly $11 million in campaign cash between 2005 and 2007, 81 percent of which came from donors living outside their districts, a new study reveals.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton) took in the most campaign cash of the Massachusetts delegation - $2.4 million - 91 percent of which came from outside his district and 73 percent of which came from out-of-state, according to campaign watchdog MAPLight.org.
Frank spokesman Peter Kovar said Frank’s chairmanship of the House financial services committee and involvement in gay rights and other “high-profile” national issues explains the high percentage of out-of-district donations.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Malden) topped the Bay State list with 93 percent of his $1.1 million coming from out of his district. Markey ranked 45th of 421 House lawmakers in the study.
Nationally, House members raised $700 million, 79 percent of which came from outside members’ districts.
The study tracked donations of $200 or more.
“Instead of a voting democracy, we have a dollar democracy - may the biggest-spending special interest win,” said MAPLight executive director Daniel Newman.
Other Bay State lawmakers’ donations included:
Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield), $1.1 million, 90 percent out-of-district, 22 percent from Massachusetts;
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Somerville), $1.2 million, 85 percent from outside his district, 45 percent from Massachusetts;
Much like the children and teenagers in YouTube videos chanting for and pledging their allegiance to Obama, Democrats are trying to label any criticism levied by Republicans regarding the current economic crisis, and Barack Obama in general, as veiled racism.
Frank told a mortgage foreclosure symposium in Boston today that Republicans are appealing to their base by blaming the economic crisis on efforts to expand affordable housing.
He said “the fact that some of the poor people are black doesn’t hurt” the GOP critics with their political base.
But the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee says the Community Reinvestment Act has helped expand affordable housing to low- and moderate-income buyers.
He says the larger subprime mortgage mess is instead responsible for the vast majority of foreclosures and the financial problems on Wall Street.
Again, classic page one tactic.
Barney Frank is an idiot. Is this the best he can do? Blame it on Republicans being racist? How about we blame the folks who doled out subprime loans to those same poor people simply because of their race. Oh yes, that is most certainly what was going on… giving out mortgages to poor people, minorities especially, who couldn’t afford, nor should be considered for mortgages. It was Affirmative Action at its worst (worse than it is by definition).
As a conservative and registered Republican, my criticism of this economic crisis is of the rich people who gave out the subprime mortgages when they knew it was bad, and the poor people who let themselves be convinced they could afford a mortgage. I don’t give a hoot what race you are, but I do take issue with blatant stupidity. When things go awry, you need to criticize, and hiding criticism because you might insult or offend a minority is equally racist.
Barney Frank is an idiot. (Does my calling him an idiot make me anti-gay?) The commission-happy mortgage brokers (of any race) are idiots. The poor people (of any race) who took on subprime loans are idiots. All the politicians (of either party) who ignored the crisis, and pushed it along anyways are idiots. The Senators and Representatives (of either party) who voted ‘yes’ on the bailout are idiots.
I hate stupidity, and I won’t censor my labeling of something stupid. Stupidity is colorblind.
Nice try Barney, but instead of levying baseless charges of racism, take some responsibility and let’s worry about keeping this from happening again, so people like me who don’t have a mortgage with my name on it, but have a small share in thousands of mortgages for properties I’ll never get to see, don’t have to bailout another $700 billion worth of subprime mortgages.
Just watched Barney Frank on The O’Reilly Factor a moment ago… they got into a very bitter argument and Bill O’Reilly ripped Barney Frank a new one… Hopefully it’ll be on YouTube soon…
U.S. Reps. Barney Frank, Michael Capuano, Ed Markey, John Olver, Richard Neal, Jim McGovern and Niki Tsongas voted for the massive $700 billion plan that ultimately failed on a 228-205 vote.
Congressmen Stephen Lynch, William Delahunt and John Tierney bucked leadership by voting against the legislation.
All 10 of Massachusetts’ House members are Democrats.
“They’re the ones that made an issue of her family,” Frank, D-Mass., said Tuesday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Republicans stressed Palin’s conservative family values in announcing her selection as John McCain’s running mate on Friday. Frank says the recent disclosure about her daughter blunts conservative claims that liberalism harms family life.
“Apparently she’s a great favorite with the conservative social movement,” Frank said. “They have said that it’s liberalism and liberals who have undermined families — same-sex marriage has been a problem, they don’t want gay people to adopt … This helps undercut those arguments.”
Not so, Congressman. Growing up with conservative values in the home does not 100% shield you from liberalism, and vice versa. You can’t walk down the street, go on the internet, or turn on the television to see how liberalism has undermined family values. Parents can only do so much to impart their values on to their children. Let’s face it, it is impossible for parents to safeguard children from values that do not align with their own, short of keeping them locked up in a dungeon somewhere with no outside contact.
Revelations about Palin’s 17-year-old daughter’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy and other family troubles reflect the stresses and strains of modern everyday life more than anything else, said Frank.
“Well, hers is a family in great turmoil,” added Frank. “She fired the state police commissioner because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband. She has a daughter who became pregnant. That’s not her fault.”
I don’t understand why her family is “in great turmoil” for simply having to deal with the stresses and strains of modern everyday life. Many families deal with these issues, and some many times worse. But you are correct, Congressman. It’s not her fault. You can fairly go after the actions of Sarah Palin, but when it comes to her children, or any politicians children, listen to your messiah, “children are especially off limits.” Let’s keep it that way, for the children of a politicians regardless of what party they are. If Palin’s children are fair game, then all politicians’ children are fair game, and I don’t think we want to go down that road, Congressman.
You’ve heard it all before… the price of energy is going through the roof and a little relief would be much appreciated. So why is it the Rep. Barney Frank is trying to use the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to keep an LNG out of the Taunton Riverfront? The Wall Street Journal wonders the same thing.
Behold the Taunton River in Fall River, Massachusetts, pictured nearby. Congressman Barney Frank thinks your family would love to visit this scenic wilderness. Among its attractions are the fuel-storage tanks along the eastern shore. The container ships and piers are always a hit with the children looking for a place to romp.
This could be America’s next “wild and scenic river,” if Mr. Frank gets his way. Last month the powerful Congressman pushed a bill through the House Natural Resources Committee that would give the Taunton River that designation under federal law. The bill could come up for a vote on the House floor soon. If you’re beginning to sense that there may be more going on here than love of nature, keep reading.
The 40-year-old Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was passed to protect certain rivers from development. To qualify, says the law, a river should “possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values.” If they are designated under the act, the rivers and their “immediate environment” are then protected from development or industrial uses. We’ve got nothing against container docks, but the Taunton River would not seem to qualify as wild, much less scenic, under any of the law’s descriptive qualities.
So why is Rep. Frank making this laughable association?
Mr. Frank’s real agenda can be spied on the right-hand shore in this picture. This is the proposed site of a terminal for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG). The terminal would be located right about where those five white storage tanks are at the top of the picture – hardly untrammeled wilderness. The Congressman, whose district includes part of Fall River and the Taunton River, has long opposed the LNG port.
Mr. Frank claims that the wild and scenic designation has nothing to do with the terminal. But six months before the terminal was first proposed in 2002, Mr. Frank had advocated dredging this not so pristine landscape to preserve its viability as an industrial port. Suddenly, he’s discovered its wild, natural beauty. Mr. Frank has also blocked the demolition of the Brightman Street Bridge just downriver from the site, with the aim of blocking ship access to any LNG terminal.
What about helping out your constituents to get cheaper energy? I’d say Rep. Frank has a case of NIMBY, but it’s not like there are not other fuel storage tanks on the riverfront–I get he doesn’t want any more fule storage tanks?
But let’s get serious…is this a “wild and scenic river”?
