Barney Frank: Forget Austerity, Europeans Want Obama’s Econ Policies
- Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:10pm by
Becket Adams
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During a C-SPAN interview on Sunday, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) told reporters Major Garrrett, of the National Journal, and Binyamin Appelbaum, of the New York Times, that the recent EU elections “signal that voters across the Atlantic want to see President Obama’s economic policies in their own countries,” the Washington Examiner’s Joel Gehrke writes.
“I think they have been overdoing the austerity,” Rep. Frank said.
“There’s been a real political upheaval there: in the elections in Greece; in the election of Francois Hollande; in what happened in the Netherlands, in the recent election in the largest state in Germany. I think you’re going to see, in Germany, which is the key there — and then Europe as a whole — a move more in the policy direction that we’ve been taking,” he added.
The “direction” Rep. Frank is referring to is, of course, the policy of addressing increasing debts and deficits with government stimulus (as opposed to slashing budgets).
“Our policy of some short-term concern for stimulus within the longer-term context of debt reduction is working much better than [austerity] and I think that [with] an awful lot of political pressure, Europe’s going to move,” the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee added.
Watch Rep. Frank’s interview (via C-SPAN):
Despite what it could do for the EU’s fiscal stability, workers in several of the cash-strapped eurozone countries have opposed (oftentimes violently) the austerity measures championed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Greece has fought especially hard against proposal to cut entitlement spending.
“The [fiscal] war that we are experiencing is not between nations and peoples…It’s a war between peoples and capitalism, and Greece is on the frontline of that war,” Greece’s radical leftist Alexis Tsipas said.
In France, they ousted the pro-austerity Nikolas Sarkozy in place of the hard-line Socialist Francois Hollande whose aids, according to Gehrke, are in total awe of the U.S. president.
“For all of these men, seeing Barack Obama was an important moment in their lives,” the pool reporter said after cabinet heads in Hollande’s administration met Obama Saturday, according to the Examiner.
“As an Elysee correspondent, Valerie Nataf, pointed out to your pooler, ‘Barack Obama is an important reference for the left side. His values are important for the President’s men,’” the report adds.
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Comments (127)
Shasta
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:00pmI think the Wisconcin recall election will be a window into our country’s future. WIll we take the difficult and honorable road, or will we insist on free stuff, paid by others, until there are no others left to tax.
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:09pmSame for 2012…and beyond. good post.
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:42pmThe BLAZE is censoring bigtime. They obviously don’t want you to see my first post.
It was:
“What is Obama’s economic policy, Bawney Fwank?
Borrow FIAT “money” from the Federal Reserve PRIVATE BANK with INTEREST, when we can’t even catch up on the principal from previous loans?”
Let’s see if they bump this to the back page again. Unreal.
Report Post »AZRACISTBIGOT
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:44pmI think that “Bawney” made more sense when he was talking thru his bum on the Rachel Mad-Cow show.
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:57pmAt least Obama will have a place to move to in January.
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:03pmBarney Frank is living proof that even the worst criminals can get away with their crimes as long as you are a congressman ….May he burn in hell there will be no punishment here on earth,because politicians are allowed to cheat and steal
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:04pmMaybe we can distract him with Anthony Bourdain.
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:33pm@ PROBLEMSOLVER you are correct ….End the Fed Reserve and the new world order and communism will fail…Its time to stop paying the bill to the enemy of free people
Report Post »brother_ed
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:37pmTranslation from BF to English.
We’ve got them so hooked on free stuff that we now control them.
Like any addict, they will continue their habit at the expense of their own health, and will kill you to get it.
Report Post »Anamah
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:40pmSavvy words!!! We should export Frank and the whole Democratic Party, their nasty billionaires and the corrupt main stream media to Europe… they have done too much damage to America.
Report Post »Independent4233
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:59pm“I think they have been overdoing the austerity,” Rep. Frank said.
The EU is imploding due to the simple fact that they have been running deficits and as those kinds of economies do, they implode when the revenue base is not adequate enough to pay for everything.
And, “no,” printing or borrowing money will not get them out of it. That only kicks the can down the road a bit further. The EU has kicked the can down the road so many times they’ve reached the end. There’s not only no more cans to kick, there’s no more road to kick them on.
The sub-prime mortgage fiasco in the US started the economic dominoes falling, but the EU system itself would have survived had it not been beyond the point of ultra-extension. Their system had a built in failure factor to begin with.
With Barney Frank’s lack of understanding of basic economic principles, I think the course material on economics 101 would probably look something like Chinese arithmetic to him, so he’d be wasting his time if he enrolled to get a bit up to speed on the subject. It‘s good he’s retiring.
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 7:04pm@SHASTA
Report Post »You’re right, a real window. It’s looking like Walker is going to pull it off now, and the media will do their best to ignore or downplay it’s significance when it happens. But enough people will know.
MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 10:49pmIts a horrible injustice that this career Criminal does not occupy a jail cell for the rest of his life.Barney Frank made tens of millions in the Rape of our mortgage system for home loans..May he burn in HELL….If You Lost Your Home You can blame this sack of SH*T
Report Post »historyguy48
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 6:34amEuropean austerity is a figment of their imagination. It doesn’t exist. The worlds financial system is a out of control race car heading into the wall.
Report Post »If you‘re on this website and you aren’t prepared then shame on you.
It’s easy to do stupid but this time around it just might be fatal.
johnjamison
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:29amWhat Walker should do after he wins agian is post the amount the public and private unions cost the state to redo the election. And then pass legislation to take the cost out of union pensions.
Report Post »johnjamison
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 10:21amBarney frank is one of the congressman who are at the core of the financial crisis that hit this country.
Report Post »doomytram
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:59pmNobody, and I mean nobody with anything resembling a functioning brain thinks we need to spend more money that we don’t have. Obama/Fwank = Communism Romney/Rice = Not Obamunism
You heard it hear first… Obamanation drops Biden and takes Clinton to offset Romney asking Condi Rice to be his running mate. The Obamunist are going to lose, I hope.
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:08pmIf Europe
1 wants Obama’s policy so much and
2 Michelle enjoys vacationing there so much
Then why___ is this couple in DC ?
So many would be so happy if this pair would just move there.
Report Post »Even happier if they also moved Barney, Nancy, Hillary and Harry over there too.
lukerw
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 8:42pmYou cannot reshape a Sow’s Ear into a Purse; You cannot change Mind of a Socialist… regardles of the examples of failure! Our Wars are about Predators… who have opposing Ideologies… and one Solution given by Nature!
Report Post »Inlightofthings
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 9:38pmSorry LUKER…but it doesn‘t mean you can’t SELL a sows ear as a purse if the buyer has never bought a purse before, never seen a sows ear, and the purchase of said item is subsidized by others.
Report Post »KeystoneState
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:56pmThe acid these leftist clowns dropped in the 60s is really catching up to them now! God help us!
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:11pmMay they all die from brain cancer
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:55pmBarney is an idiot. He is a homosexual idiot….kinda’ like the rest of Congress.
Report Post »65Mustang
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:49pmBarney Frank is even more ignorant than I originally thought…how damn stupid to think Obama economic policies are so great.
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:38pmBarney thinks we are stupid ..he stole tens of millions of dollars through Freddie and Fanny and we did nothing…
Report Post »Anamah
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:47pmHe was one of the main responsible of the housing bubble!!! He is a nasty, nasty mind corrupted our free market mortgage. He with Dodd were artifices of our debacle!!! And they are free to hurt our system until now!
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 10:37pm@ANAMAH if everyone knew the truth Frank and Dodd would face capital punishment…Never in the history of the world has so much damage been done, to so many, by so few…Need to add Bill Clinton to this list of Mortgage criminals his legislation allowed the Banksters to steal from home loans and AIG to cheat on insurance…History will judge Bill as one of the worst white collar criminals in the world.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:21amHe is factualy correct this time. France just elected a socialist, they want Obama’s socialist policies. They don‘t want to face the fact that you can’t spend that money you don’t have. Hell, half of this country wants the same thing!
Report Post »eaglesview
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:48pmSweet Jesus Barney !.
Report Post »Opening of your mouth = stupid, lack of rational thought comments.
Europeans are jumping off a cliff, Obama’s pushing us closer to it, and if we all go ff it’s going to be better ?.
A@@hole idiot !.
Retire already and take Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Dodd et al with you.
Patriot of My America
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:10pmI am in total agreement with your statement when Barney the homosexual Frawnk lips are moving he is
Report Post »working his hobby and that also involves deception and speaking more stupid crap than even a moron liberal such as that guy could possibly swollow. That guy is the most disgusting person in congress. How in the hell has he been reelected so many times is beyond this American.. Those folks in N.Y. must be the most ignorant voters in the entire nation.
bullcrapbuster
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 7:42pm@patriot……he gets them pork barrel money and that is all that they care about.
Report Post »georgepatton
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:47pmBarmey Fwank,
Report Post »Go swallow a WEINER!
rickc34
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:46pmOk let me get this straight. Europe wants to be like us? This is what happens when you smoke to much crack. Obama has added 135 billion dollars monthly to the debt since he took office. By the end of his first term in january 2013 our debt would be 16.8 trillion or an increase of 6.4 trillion dollars. I am afraid that our goverment is not qualified to give financial advice to anyone.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:02pm“the recent EU elections “signal that voters across the Atlantic want to see President Obama’s economic policies in their own countries,” the Washington Examiner’s Joel Gehrke writes.”
They can have both B.O. AND his economic policies. I’ll even chip in for the one way ticket.
Report Post »RebelPatriot
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:41pmGet government out of economics and people will be able to take care of themselves. As long as government exists as a leech to the economy the economy will suffer.
The power play at hand is a total collapse of the economy world wide. This way the power hungry that wish to rule the people of the world can step in and begin their rule of the people.
They will continue running all countries into bankruptcy until the power is removed from the citizens and taken by the elitist.
Report Post »dennisS
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:38pmLets make this real simple. My neighbor and I are both in debt $100,000. We are about to be foreclosed on and lose everything we have ever had. I decide to change my spending habits, cut back on non-essentials and begin a program to pay back my debt. My neighbor decides to take out another $20,000 loan, applies for four more credit cards and goes on a spending spree. Just how do you think that this is going to end. This is exactly what is going on here. Obama and European Socialists are exactly like my neighbor, they will lead us and the Europeans to financial ruin. There is no substantive difference between micro and macro economics, in the end, the results of unbridled spending will lead to disaster.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:46pm@DENNISS…your example is perfectly stated…but to the left progs/liberals/socialists in this nation…you might as well have tried to explain rocket telemetry to them…thats how brainwashed and idiotic they are….they do not even know basic math, let alone micro/macro economic philosophy and strategy…all they know is one philosophy….gimmee or we riot.
Report Post »Clmsadjman
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:33pmIgnore Barney the man has the brain power of a retarded clam. If these western governments don’t get a handle of spending currency will be worth nothing toliet paper will be worth more. Liberals don’t get it and they never will they have no idea how the value of money is set or created and for the same reason this 16 trillion in debt is not real to them.
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:23pmIts going to get real to them.when all government programs cease to exist
Report Post »michael48
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:33pmwhat the he!! is he on????…someone has put something in the dem-wits water…they’ve gone from mindless to meaningless….
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:57pmAnd one by one, as countries try to cut back on spending, the entitlement class will riot and stupid evil polititians will run on reversing the cut backs and win. Then with stimulus running rampant, the countries will fail, one by one. FInally ours will fail and we will see what kind of world Soros‘ and Obama’s ‘hearts’ desire.
Report Post »IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:31pmIf they want to follow then they aren’t as smart as I thought.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:30pmBarney giving out financial advice is like a cannibal sizing you up for a ‘suit’….his philospohy is to spend spend spend your way out of debt….even paperboys know that logic doesn’t work.
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:42pmMaybe Europe will agree to give Obama a position in their Government after we boot him out this November. He can claim to be citizen over there like he did over here. They can also assume the $6 Trillion in debt he has racked up.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:21pm@Blackhawk….well he does claim some Irish heritage ….sooo maybe your not too far off……they can have him…you just know he will try and give Europe literally raw tonnage of our money soon to ‘help’ them…wait for it…you know thats what he has up his sleeve.
Report Post »BLACKDIAMONDSKIER
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:30pmOf course communists and socialists love Obama’s economic policies. Because his economic policies are communist and socialist in nature.
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” – Winston Churchill
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:29pmthis old school girl cracks me up!
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:48pmBarney the Banking Queen.
Report Post »MBA
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:29pmWhat an incredibly stupid piece of sh*t! What people want is not what always what the need or should have. If ole barney wants to keep his bank account and his bf (and I don’t mean best friend) friends–it time for this country to wake up and pay the bills! Since barney is one of the 1% after stealing the US taxpayers blind, he’ll be the first to hand over his money and assets to the incensed hords. Oh wait, barney doesn’t remember history–what happened to Louis and Marie Antoinette after they let the 99% eat cake!
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:28pmBend over Barney should be in prison for housing melt down among other things . But he would think it was a vacation in paradise being gay?
Report Post »Lee_in_PA
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:28pmNo, what they really want is the taxpayers’ money, so they can throw that away with both hands.
Report Post »psadie
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:27pmShut up Barney; you are an idiot. You and Chris Dodd and Bill Clinton alone are to blame for the mortgage debacle. It is a good thing that you are retiring because you and your other cronies should be indicted for your criminal decisions alone. You HAVE to spend money no matter what. You don’t know what austerity means because you people have NEVER STOPPED SPENDING. Let the EU continue to spend for they deserve what they get.
Report Post »toomuchgovt
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:26pmI am more convinced than ever this entire ‘occupy’, ‘austerity’, ‘arab spring’ is just one organization pushing this world to one world order. I saw a car today with an occupy america sticker and the local police sticker (in this town you only have this particular police sticker if you are employed or a direct family member).
Report Post »sb36695
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:24pmMaybe you should ask the Germans what happens when you print money, Bawney? However, since you did such a fantastic job with housing, we shouldn’t even question you!
Report Post »idaho1
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:22pmWhat these idiots do not realise is that we are currently headed down the same path they have already chosen. We the United States, will soon be Greece and France if Obama’s policies are left unchallenged. We are already in a very deep hole that will be difficult to overcome. The problem with Socialism is that eventually they/we will run out of “other” peoples money. Greece and France have more voters on the take than the voters who earn the money. They are screwed and will fall hard economically very soon. We are not far behind.
Report Post »BLACKDIAMONDSKIER
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:20pmHa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha…….(Breath) Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Report Post »IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:27pmI agree!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:16pmFrank IS right.Let’s send Obama over there to straitened stuff out and replace him with an American in the White House.
Report Post »Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:32pmDid someone yet tell Barney how miserable a job of econ policies Obimbo has done so far? He should be proud, Obimbo is the foodstamp president, the unemployment president, the gay president the tax and spend president….well someone please tell ole sweet cheeks the president has poop noodles!
Report Post »ONE-IFBYLAND
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:23pmSounds like the best foreign policy advice I’ve heard in a long time…..at least 3 1/2 years.
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