Barney Frank May (or May Not) Delay His Retirement

Frank wouldn't confirm or deny whether he would accept a short-term appointment to replace Sen. John Kerry, should Kerry be appointed Secretary of State, and before other candidates line up for a special election next spring.

Barney Frank is retiring at the end of the year after 30 years in Congress. But there's one place he hasn't been before — a dark, scary place for which he might delay retirement if offered a (very brief) position: the Senate.

Politico's MJ Lee reports Frank wouldn't confirm or deny whether he would accept a short-term appointment from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to replace Sen. John Kerry, should Kerry be appointed Secretary of State, and before other candidates line up for a special election next spring. "In Massachusetts, you’re talking about an interim, not a permanent appointment. I certainly would not take on any long-term appointment," Frank told Politico. "As for an interim thing, I think accepting offers that haven’t been made is kind of presumptuous."

We certainly wouldn't complain if Frank decided to stick around, if only because his wedding looked like so much fun. Frank became the first married, openly gay Congressman earlier this year.  He's also a beloved figure for his fearlessness to say some rude (and hilarious) things, and being a damned good politician to boot. He's still got positive feelings for politics, as evidenced by this Boston Globe interview from early December, so it might be nice to have him stick around for an extra few months. The beaches and gin and tonics and adirondack chairs of retired, married life can wait, right?