Frank Speaking

Dem Rep Barney Frank, on CNBC in July of '08:

"I think this is a case where Fanny and Freddy are fundamentally sound, that they are not in danger of going under -- they're not the best investments these days -- from the long-term standpoint going back, I think they would [unintelligible] going forward. This is them in the housing market. I do think prospects going forward are very solid, and in fact we're gonna do some things that are gonna improve them."


The interview with O'Reilly that followed was quite confrontational. O'Reilly says Frank should resign, Frank starts blaming Republicans from 1994. Bill says Frank had said everything with Fanny and Freddy was great, Frank objects, "Oh no, oh no. I said it wasn't a good investment." His words are being distorted ... the words everything and great weren't actually used, you see. Bill gets a bit loud. Frank objects, "You didn't listen to it. ... I said it wasn't a good investment. No, I didn't say 'swell'. ... The problem with going on your show .... What do you mean, 'coward'. Here's the problem with going on your show. You start ranting, and the only way to respond is almost to look as boorish as you, but here's the fact, I specifically said in the quote you just played that I didn't think it was a good investment. I wasn't telling anyone to buy stock. I said it wasn't a good investment. ... I'm not gonna be bullied by your ranting. You can rant all you want, you're not gonna shut me up. ... No, this is why your stupidity gets in the way of rational discussion. The fact is it was in 1994.... I'm not putting a happy face on anything. ... Hey Bill, this 'manliness' stuff is very unbecoming from you, I don't see any.... You think toughness is yelling and ranting and trying to bully, it's not gonna work with me. The fact is in the very quote you played I said 'It's not a good investment.' ... No I didn't say 'swell'. I didn't say 'swell'. No, I said in fact in that quote that you played and didn't listen to because you're busy ranting that it's not a good investment. I said that at the time. I did think we were gonna improve things going forward. ... But that's not the part about it not being a good investment. You are distorting that. Bill, you're lying by your words, what about the what about the part -- where I said it wasn't a good investment? ... I didn't say 'solid', I didn't say 'swell' -- you distort consistently. And you think ranting and raving, you don't want to talk about 1994, like no history is relevant ... The joke was thinking I could have a rational discussion with you. ... It's a totally different, no I didn't say it was everybody else's fault. You are the most, you don't listen at all, or maybe you're listening and you're too dumb to understand..."


"...Fanny and Freddy are fundamentally sound ... they are not in danger of going under -- they're not the 'best' investments these days.... prospects going forward are very solid ... we're gonna do some things that are gonna improve them."


J