Is There an Antidote to the Republican Amnesia? [Barney Frank spewing revisionist history]

Huffington Post ^ | March 18, 2009 | By Barney Frank

[Jim Robinson]

Memory eventually fails us all, but apparently the decline strikes one party far more than the other.

In recent weeks, my friends across the aisle have expended a lot of breath proclaiming that the Democrats caused the present financial crisis by failing to pass legislation to regulate financial services companies in the years 1995 through 2006.

There is only small one problem with this story -- throughout this entire period the Republicans were in complete charge of the House and for the most critical years they controlled the House, the Senate, and the Presidency.

In the House of Representatives, the majority party has almost unlimited power over the minority party. The majority party owns the committee chairmanships; it controls what bills come to a vote; and it is under no obligation to consider the ideas of the beleaguered minority. When the Republicans were in the majority they ruled with an iron first; it is no accident that Tom DeLay was known as "The Hammer."

That is why I find it particularly flattering the Republicans now claim that in the years 1995 to 2006 I personally possessed supernatural powers which enabled me to force mighty Republican leaders to do my bidding. Choose your comic book hero -- I was all of them.

I wish I had the power to force the Republican leadership to do my bidding! If I had had that power, I would have used it to block the impeachment of Bill Clinton, to stop the war in Iraq, to prevent large tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, and to stop government intervention into the private life of Terri Schiavo. Yet that power eluded me, and I was unable to stop those things.

According to the Republicans' misty memories of the period before 2007, I allegedly singlehandedly blocked their...

[Syncro]

Great synopsis, thanks!

Arrest Dodd and Frank, try them and put them in prison

[TooFarGone]

The Democrats are transparent in their efforts to block reining in Frannie/Freddie. It takes but a quick youtube search to find overwhelming evidence.
My only question is that if Republicans did control the Finance committees chairs, how exactly did/could Franks/Dodd block legislation from at least getting out of committee and onto the floor for debate? My kool-aid friends have brought up this point and I don’t quite have an answer. Any information would be appreciated?

[bfree]

Thanks for taking the time to put that together. Barney should be booted out of office. He's a liar playing to his leftwing crowd.
His performance at the hearings yesterday was totally embarrassing. The committee just shows what lowlifes we have running the country.