In early 1972, when Barney Frank was working as chief of staff for then- Democratic Rep. Michael J. Harrington, he sent me a letter with a copy of a newspaper obituary. He wrote, “In case you outlive me this is how I want my obituary to look.” The obituary headline read in part: Morris Bealle, softball player.When I spoke with Frank recently in hospice care and asked if he still wanted to be remembered as a softball player, he replied that after 32 years in the House, the obituary should probably read, “The Time of the Gentleman Has Expired.”In late 2011, when Frank announced that he was retiring, then-President Barack Obama said, “This country has never had a congressman like Barney Frank, and the House of Representatives will not be the same without him.” He is considered by many to be the greatest legislator of his generation. He was a courageous pioneer in gay rights, a champion of Wall Street and financial reform, and a congressman who made a difference.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) described Frank as a cross between Louis Brandeis and Buddy Hackett. What made Frank unique as a congressman was a combination of three traits. First, his perceptive intelligence. He was usually the smartest person in the room. Former senator Edward Kennedy said, “When Barney Frank was elected to Congress, Congress’ IQ went up 10 points and Brooks Brothers stock dropped.”
