The year was 1976. It was nearing deadline time at the The Boston Phoenix. Editor Bill Miller, formerly of the Boston Globe, emerged into the newsroom from his small office. A hush fell as reporters turned to face him. Waving his hand in the air, Miller announced, "A hundred dollars to the first reporter who …
Tag: Barney Frank
Elizabeth Warren: U.S. President or Massachusetts Senator?
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren's first televised interview as a nearly announced presidential candidate was with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. The interaction was about as challenging as a Donald Trump interview with Sean Hannity. From there, she went on to Iowa, where the questions got a little bit tougher and are just a foretaste of what she …
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Summer reading: there’s still time, pt. 1 – non-fiction
A late Labor Day and temporary physical disability have extended my usual orgy of summer reading, with both non-fiction and fiction offerings to share with you. Because time is running out, I'll keep the list short. In the first category, the book Frank seeks to answer the question of "how did a disheveled, intellectually combative gay …
Continue reading Summer reading: there’s still time, pt. 1 – non-fiction
Secrecy tips the case of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
President Obama's proposed trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), has me in a quandary. I've long held that free trade benefits everyone in the long run. It's what happens in the short run that can be daunting. Reduce or eliminate barriers to other nations' products and we get the benefit of lower prices and greater selection …
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Presidential race will thwart progress in Congress
Very knowledgeable politicians speaking in Boston last Monday expressed qualified hopes that Congress could actually get something done. They pointed to the recent "doc fix," a remedy for the unrealistic curtailment of Medicare payments to providers. The bill passed by the House and awaiting Senate action even reauthorized CHIP (the children's health plan) and provided some …
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Barney hasn’t lost his touch
There was a time when former Congressman Barney Frank said you couldn't pay him enough for sitting on a panel with Karl Rove. As it turns out, he mused, "you can." Frank is doing well on the speaking circuit but returned to his roots on Friday, speaking to the New England Council. The long-time Congressman …
Frankly, Barney’s best for interim senator
Wanted: Smart, courageous, savvy individual for temporary posting. Location: United States Senate. Experience: track record of experience in complicated political settings with record of success in achieving goals. Education: longtime immersion in complicated policy challenges with particular expertise in military budgeting and entitlements. Skill sets must include ability to work collaboratively with people across the …
Obama and the politics of gay marriage
It would have been easier for Barack Obama to wait until after the election to announce that he thinks gays should have the right to marry. He could have let people assume that V.P. Joe Biden’s and Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s comments to that effect were a hint that such was the thinking inside the …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 