Barney Frank Reportedly Told Governor He Wants To Be Interim Senator

Frank reportedly wants to stay to be part of the fiscal cliff debate.

One day after leaving the U.S. Congress, former Democratic Congressman Barney Frank said he asked Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint him as the interim senator to fill John Kerry's seat, according to the Boston Herald. Frank made the remark during an appearance on MSNBC on Jan. 4. If appointed, Frank would fill the seat Kerry will likely vacate if confirmed as the next Secretary of State. Frank said he wanted to stay in politics for now because he wanted to be part of the fiscal cliff debate, according to the Herald. Tweets from Boston Globe political reporter Glen Johnson confirmed the news.  "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," …

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Frank, Brown, Kerry Vote For Fiscal Cliff Deal

The approved bill eases portions of the so-called "fiscal cliff."

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a deal late Tuesday to ease portions of the so-called "fiscal cliff," according to the Huffington Post. The compromise was approved by the Senate at 2 a.m. Tuesday, and despite talk of rejecting it, the House ultimately passed the bill by a vote of 257 to 167. Sens. John Kerry, D-MA, and Scott Brown, R-MA, both supported the measure in the Senate. The entire Mass. delegation voted for the deal, including retiring congressman Barney Frank, D-Newton. He was on WBUR earlier today to speak about the deal. "The deal that we have is not good from my standpoint, but it's the best we could get," Frank said in an interview with WBUR. Other representatives, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Malden, Rep. John Tierney, D-…

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Fiscal Cliff Looms as Congress Gets Back to Work

President, Congress have just a few days to avert automatic tax increases and spending cuts. A number of Massachusetts Congressman suggest cutting nuclear programs instead.

  Starbucks baristas are writing "come together" on all cups in the Washington, DC, area to encourage Congress and the President to come together to fix the fiscal cliff issue. For more information about this initiative, go to www.patch.com/fixthedebt. Congress and President Obama are racing against the clock this week as they make one last attempt to hammer out a deal to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff” the U.S. government is set to go over on New Year’s Day. Without a compromise deal to lower the deficit, the government will face a self-imposed deadline that triggers both spending cuts and higher taxes. Congress itself set the Jan. 1 deadline after failing to come to a budget compromise earlier this year. On Jan. 1, the George W. Bush-…

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Barney Frank: No Plans for Paid Lobbying After Congress

Frank reportedly signed with a talent agency, according to a blog on The Hill.

  Democratic U.S. Rep. Barney Frank's life after Congress will not include two things: paid lobbying or work as a lawyer. Instead, Frank plans to teach, write a book, give speeches and work as a political commentator, according to a report in the Boston Herald. The Newton congressman clarified his plans in a statement Wednesday after receiving questions about his future after Congress. According to a blog post on The Hill, Frank has also signed with a talent agency.  Frank closed his statement Wednesday by directing any questions to William Morris Endeavors, a talent and literacy agency run by Ari Emanuel, brother of Chicago Mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Frank, 72, is currently serving his 16th term in Congress …

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Barney Frank in Wellesley

The outgoing Congressman will speak at Unitarian Universalists of Wellesley tonight.

As the presidential and local races heat up, one longstanding congressman who is not involved will talk about a major hot-button topic in Wellesley tonight. Congressman Barney Frank will speak on the topic of economic justice and financial reform tonight at Unitarian Universalist of Wellesley, 309 Washington St. The event is part of The Sharp Series, and is open to the public. The speech will begin at 7:30.

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This Week in Wellesley

Selectmen Approve Rte. 9 Restaurant; Police Report Fraudulent Veterans Solicitations

Your weekly roundup of news and events.

This week in Wellesley… The Board of Selectmen approved a common victuller’s license to group of developers and owners for a restaurant at 978 Worcester St. Monday. A prior group of owners sought to build a restaurant called "Justine's" at the location, but the board denied them a license because they felt the restaurant would be too large for the area’s limited parking. On Tuesday, the Wellesley Police Department issued an alert to residents to beware of a phone solicitation scam being run by a group calling itself Bay State Veterans. Police received over 50 calls regarding the alleged scam. WCVB’s website reported Wednesday on a Mass. Health Department study that said Wellesley – along with Weston – has high incidences of Type I diabetes…

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Joseph Kennedy III Announces Candidacy

Kennedy will announce his candidacy officially in the morning, followed by a signature drive, according to a press release yesterday.

Although he's gaining endorsements, Joseph Kennedy III has yet to officially enter the race for the Fourth Congressional District. But that will all change tomorrow. In a press release issued Wednesday evening, Kennedy's campaign said he will offficially announce his candidacy today. A video announcement will be posted on www.joekennedy2012.com in the morning.  Following his announcement, Kennedy is set to make five stops in the district, starting in Newton. He is scheduled to appear at the Newton Centre MBTA stop at 7:45 a.m.  After Newton, Kennedy will travel to Milford, Attleboro, Taunton and Fall River.  “I believe this country was founded on a simple idea: that every person deserves to be treated fairly, by each other and by their …

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Former Frank Challenger Ready for Another 4th District Race

Rachel Brown announced her candidacy on Friday, Feb. 10.

North Quincy Democrat and former Barney Frank challenger Rachel Brown announced late last week she plans to run again for the Fourth Congressional District seat.  Brown, 30, announced her candidacy on Feb. 10 and is part of the national slate of candidates for Lyndon Larouche's Political Action Committee (LaRouche PAC). In a press release issued by her campaign, Brown not only challenges Republicans, but also fellow Democrats, saying the country faces "abominable unemployment, dire budget problems, an imminent threat of war, and a clinically insane president." When Brown faced Frank in the 2010 Democratic primary, she received more than 10,000 votes in the district, or roughly 20 percent of the total votes cast.  Along with Brown, …

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Sean Bielat to Say He’ll Run for Barney Frank’s Seat

Bielat, a Republican, lost to Frank two years ago.

Sean Bielat, a Republican from Norfolk, told MyFoxBoston.com last night he would run for the open Congressional seat left behind by Barney Frank. Bielat ran unsuccessfully against Frank in a close 2010 election. Beilat said in the interview he feels he has a “great chance” to win the seat this time, according to MyFoxBoston.com.

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Kennedy Sets Eyes on Frank's Congressional Seat

The former assistant district attorney for Barnstable and Middlesex counties is exploring a bid for Congress and has stepped down as an attorney.

Joseph P. Kennedy III is making the final move in a bid to run for U.S. Representative Barney Frank's seat by opening an exploratory committee to raise money Boston.com reported Jan. 5. Kennedy announced his resignation as a Middlesex County prosecutor with the District Attorney's office, according to MyFoxBoston.com. Last March, Kennedy told the Cape Cod Times he would not run for a seat in congress.  However, in November Rep. Frank, after 30 years in office, said he would not seek re-election after his district was redrawn with the new redistricting initiative, WPRI.com reported. It was in November that Kennedy suggested he may seek candidacy.  "Kennedy said he plans to meet in the coming weeks with residents of the 4th Congressional …

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