Rep. Barney Frank, the retiring veteran Massachusetts Democrat, inserted himself into California’s Berman-Sherman battle with some strongly critical words about Brad Sherman.
Politico reports:
Barney Frank, the ranking member of the House Financial Services committee, ripped fellow committee member Brad Sherman in a conference call this afternoon. The call was billed by the Berman campaign as an attempt “to set the record straight on Brad Sherman’s role on financial regulatory reform.”
“I decided to endorse Mr. Berman shortly after redistricting came out,” Frank said on the call, which lasted about half an hour. He added, “It’s really one of the greatest contrasts I can think of, between a very responsible, very thoughtful member and someone who plays a much more superficial role.”
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Frank slammed Sherman over his claim that he had ““more to do with Dodd-Frank than anyone except Dodd and Frank.” Frank accused Sherman of “arrogance,” of being “not a very good legislator” and of a “total lack of understanding that in a legislative body, you work with other people.”
Sherman retorted that Frank was “extremely angry” with him for pressing for changes to Dodd-Frank and for his efforts against TARP.
While Sherman finished ahead of Berman in the nonpartisan primary for the seat, which advanced the two Democrats into a general election face-off, Berman is backed by an overwhelming proportion of the California Democratic congressional delegation.
