Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is openly jockeying for the Senate seat currently held by Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry.
In an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Friday, Frank said he had called Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) and asked for the interim appointment to Kerry’s Senate seat if Kerry is confirmed as President Barack Obama’s next secretary of state.
Frank had hinted last month in an interview with Politico that he was interested in the interim appointment, stating he would not reject an offer that had not yet been made. In his comments today, Frank went further.
“I’m not going to be coy. It’s not something I’ve ever been good at,” Frank said. “I’ve told the governor that I would now like, frankly, to do that because I would like to be a part of that. It’s only a three-month period; I wouldn’t want to do anything more; I don’t want to run again.”
In an interview with The Boston Globe, Frank said Patrick was “noncommittal.” His change of heart comes after the fiscal cliff compromise between the White House and Congress over the New Year’s holiday.
“The first months of the new Senate will be among the most important in American history. I may be a little immodest, but I called the governor and said I think I can be a help in reaching a fair solution to some of these issues,” Frank told the Globe, adding key decisions will be made on financial policy and his 30 years in Congress would allow him to slip easily into the role of senator.
“I think there are progressive ways to work on Social Security and Medicare. I think making the case against them (Tea Party Republicans) on the debt limit is important,” Frank said, according to the Globe. “A split emerged in the Republican Party over the fiscal cliff, with mainstream Republicans splitting with the radical right. I think it’s important for us to continue to exploit that. We need to reach out to conservative Republicans who nonetheless are willing to compromise, and find a way to reach a deal.”
Patrick has said he will not announce a replacement for Kerry until he is confirmed as secretary of state. If Frank is picked, he will become the second out senator in American history. Upon her swearing in yesterday, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) became the upper chamber’s first out gay member.
WATCH Frank’s comments here via Talking Points Memo:
A new report published by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law finds that an estimated 2.8 million Americans aged 13 or older identify as transgender.
According to NBC News, that figure represents about 1% of the U.S. population within that age group. The breakdown is nearly even: 34.2% identify as transgender men, 32.7% as transgender women, and 33.1% as nonbinary.
One statistic drew particular attention on social media: younger Americans are far more likely to identify as transgender than older generations. About 3.3% of those ages 13-17 identify as transgender, compared to just 0.3% of those 65 and older.
Grindr, the gay hookup app for men seeking sex with men, reportedly prevents users from adding "no Zionists" to their profile.
404 Media first reported that several users who tried to add "no Zionists" to their profiles were blocked from doing so. Those users were likely signaling opposition to Israel's military campaign in Gaza or expressing support for the Palestinian cause.
When 404 Media reporter Samantha Cole tried adding "No Zionists" to a new Grindr account, she received an error message reading, "The following are not allowed: no zionist, no zionists" -- the same message reported by users who had tipped her off.
Cracker Barrel has removed the "Pride" section of its website, which once highlighted the chain's sponsorship of the Nashville Pride Parade. Visitors are now redirected to a "Culture and Belonging" page.
The company insists the change was part of routine site updates, not a reaction to backlash from right-wing conservatives.
"In connection with the Company's brand work, we have recently made updates to the Cracker Barrel website, including adding new content and removing out-of-date content," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
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In an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Friday, Frank said he had called Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) and asked for the interim appointment to Kerry’s Senate seat if Kerry is confirmed as President Barack Obama’s next secretary of state.
