Barney Frank Wants to be Interim Mass. Senator
After being retired from Congress for just one day, Barney Frank has asked Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to put him back to work as interim senator when Sen. John Kerry becomes secretary of state, the Boston Herald reports.
When Frank, 72, appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Friday he said he told Patrick he wants to become interim senator once Kerry leaves.
"A month ago, or a few weeks ago, I said I wasn't interested," he said. "It was kind of like you're about to graduate, and they said: 'You gotta go to summer school.' But (the fiscal cliff) deal now means that February, March and April are going to be among the most important months in American financial history."
"I've told the governor I would now like, frankly, to do that [serve as interim senator]," ha added.
Although Frank was a strong consideration for Kerry's replacement he said that he won't run for senator in a special election, which will probably be held this summer, Politico points out. Politico also notes that former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis and former Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Margaret Marshall, who was behind the landmark ruling that legalized gay marriage in the state, are also possible contenders for Kerry's seat.
"I would rather be a congressman," Frank said. "Thirty-two years in the House, three months in the Senate, I'm a House member."
In late November Frank, who has represented Massachusetts's Fourth Congressional District since 1981, announced that he would not see re-election in 2012. Joe Kennedy III succeeded him.
"I was planning to run again, and then congressional redistricting came," he told reporters.
While in office, the liberal icon championed gay rights and became one of the most powerful members of Congress as the senior member of the Financial Services Committee. In 1987 he announced that he is gay but still remained popular among voters and Democrats. More recently in July, Frank tied the knot with his longtime boyfriend Jim Ready, 42. According to media outlets, the ceremony took place in Newton, Mass. and was described as a "low key" event.
Watch the video of Frank on MSBC below: