Barney Frank slams Gingrich for calling for his imprisonment

[Stuart G]

Talking Points Memo;


http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/newt-gingrich-barney-frank-and-chris-dodd-should-be-in-jail.php

Benjy Sarlin-October 11, 2011, 8:35 PM

Is it a violation of Congressional decorum to call for your former colleagues to be thrown in jail? Newt Gingrich lobbed a bomb early in Tuesday’s Bloomberg/Washington Post debate by telling the audience that he would like to imprison Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), co-authors of last year’s financial reform package. The attack drew a fierce and immediate rebuttal from Frank, who slammed the “self-styled intellectual leader of the free world” for his “very odd” comments.

“If you want to put people in jail, you ought to start with Barney Frank and Chris Dodd,” Gingrich said in the debate. His remark came after the candidates were asked about the lack of criminal prosecutions of Wall Street officials in the wake of the financial crisis.



Frank said Gingrich’s anger over his and Dodd’s role in the financial meltdown was absurd given that Republicans were in charge of the House and — excerpt for a brief period — Senate, from 1995 to 2007.He noted that he worked on reform legislation on mortgage in his first year as chair in 2007.

Added Frank: “I wish I knew that he was willing to listen to my advice, I would have given him some: I would have told him not to impeach Clinton, I would have told his successors not to go to war with Iraq, and I would have told DeLay not to go on the dance show.”

“He’s been having a bad year, you know — this self-styled intellectual leader of the free world struggling to stay ahead of Michele Bachmann in the polls is unsettling him so he talks even sillier than he sometimes does,” he said.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. The fascistic tendencies are showing

[Stuart G]

4. Well said, but I am not sure you will hear much from him after this.

While he may have some following, these comments will do it to him.
He will be officially gone very very soon.

[banned from Kos]

5. You're kidding? That reptile doesn't care - he is speaking to other

cold-blooded conservative idiots. He will double down if given the chance.

[Trillo]

10. I've never before seen the similarity of fantastic and fascistic

fa-nta-stic
fa-sci-stic

Gingrich seems to be projecting.

Gin-g-rich
Gi-grinch

[hobbit709]

2. "self-styled intellectual leader of the free world "-LOL

The only thing Newtie is good at is serial philandering. A dog turd is more intellectual than him.

[Tennessee Gal]

3. Barney Frank is fantastic at slamming the ridiculous!

[malaise]

6. What's the story with Newt's Tiffany's super credit? n/t

[salinen]

7. "Obama is an anti-colonialist"

epic stupidity from the former leader of the house.

[hootinholler]

8. "I would have told DeLay not to go on the dance show"

:rofl:

[Frustratedlady]

9. Barney is one of the few congresscritters who can make me laugh out loud.

His wit is dry, but cutting. He is so clever and rarely fails to make me smile...through his humor or his wisdom.

Go, Barney!

[Stuart G]

13. Great Wit with Barney, its a gift.

I enjoy listening to him. I wish there were more like him.

[joeybee12]

11. Great response from Barney, though...knr

[gratuitous]

12. "I wish I knew he was willing to listen to my advice"

Ah Newtie, Newtie, Newtie. Gotta be careful where and when you're going to speak off the cuff. I think Newt's smart enough not to go back at Barney Frank, but you never really know. Newt may be desperate enough to pick a fight with Frank, and as difficult as it is to imagine, Newt will wind up in even worse shape.

[progressoid]

14. Gingrich?

Is he still running?

[Ignis]

15. The Grinch is a prick ... but it looks like Barney had the last laugh.

Way to knock it out of the park, Mr. Frank! :applause: