It’s a Frank World

Barack (Obama) indeed has ushered in an era of change. Sometimes the change is quick. Like an unread, undebated 787 billion bill to stimulate pork, or a health care bill contained in a thousand pages of unread legislation even though some had a day to do so. Who wrote these if no one has seen them?

In a related note, John Conyers says there is no point to our representatives reading a bill before voting on it. Give him a break, he was just being frank. They were all elected to know when the fix is in

Even if, as John posits, he were to have enough lawyers to tell him what the special interest writers had in mind, no one can know what clever and political use some unreasonable regulator or politician of any party will use it for in the future. Given the potentially massive power passed on in overreaching and expansive language that our best and brightest, our elected representatives, allow to be written in their name by a myriad of special interests on all sides of the cubed aisle of politics, well, this could be a Frankenstein moment.

Further evidence of the B’s influence can be found in the activities, non political of course, of the Franking Commission. Upon threat of penalty, congressmen can not use the words government run health care. Pubic option is the now “required” non political partisan speech required of members of all political parties when communicating with constituents by frank mail.

The same waves of anti Bush emotions that Barack rode his waterboard of change on also floated the boat of Al Franken onto the shores of the Senate. Not as quick a change for Al although he might still need one if you look carefully. CNN and others have  covered  the drama of the longest Senate election in history and CNN also made this report of the genesis of the Al Franken phenomenon.

BTW, Barack and I have not had a beer yet, for I ain’t got celebrity, but I still feel like it is OK to call him by his first name. After all, I attended his nomination at the Democratic National Convention in the The Can in Denver and also was grateful to later attend in person when he gave his acceptance speed across the highway in what locals still call Mile High Stadium. Sorry Al for missing everything to do with your ascendancy.

While Gone With The Wind may represent Republican feelings about the new 60th Democratic Senator, they give a hoot not because they want to prevent the Senate from becoming a joke, because some cynics, not me, might say that has already happened so many times.

Rather and more frankly, the Dems have at least nominally a filibuster proof supermajority WMD to use for any type of pure partisan purposes they desire, sort of a Gone With The Wind Power all political parties like to have so they do not have to pay much attention to the loyal opposition.

Personal Aide expert Barney Frank rounds out today’s musings on our frank world. Frankly, I can think of nothing to say but Fannie Mae or Fannie May Not. Whether she does or not is pure speculation but you can thank Barney and Company that they concluded that a 2004 warning was ignored and Barney et al concluded rather clearly that there’s “nothing wrong” with Fannie Mae, except for perhaps her catastrophic and morally questionable relationship with Freddie the Mac.

Really, what’s Frankenstein or Brett Butler got to do with all this? Nothing, hopefully.

Finally, I’m feeling franked by government.

But if you are not totally franked out by now and are in a generous mood, consider donating to a well intended frank initiative to help good felons.

Naturally, there are two sides to the story and some, neighbors and politicians think it glamorizes crime.

Regartdless, when in the East Village, try dining here.

Confused by the frank? Get relief here.

This Frank is working up a hypbrand…ranking number 187,000 on Alexa.com. Be sure to see this frank weiner tragedy.