Rep. Barney Frank (D. Ma) called Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.)
“cowardly” on MSNBC Monday evening in response to a recent Arizona Republic
newspaper story that McCain claims he was misled by then-Treasury
Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to
secure his support for the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program.
In a story published Monday McCain
told The Arizona Republic that he was told the TARP funds
would only be used to address the meltdown in the housing industry.
But, the Arizona senator, who is
facing a strong primary challenge from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, told the
newspaper, "obviously that didn't happen."
When MSNBC's Rachel Maddow asked
about McCain's claim, Frank said it was a "pathetically, obviously untrue
statement."
The Massachusetts Democrat said he
has gone beyond being disappointed for John McCain to feeling sorry for him.
"For him to blame Paulson or
Bernanke is cowardly," Frank continued, "This was Bush, Paulson and
Bernanke were acting for former President George W. Bush"; suggesting that
it was Bush, not Paulson nor Bernanke, who ultimately determined how the TARP
funds were disbursed.
Frank went on to say that McCain
has got a very conservative primary opponent. He said McCain voted for the TARP
money, he clearly supported it, and he's now just trying to reinvent history.
Rep. Frank said it was unseemly for a man like that to blame other people, because
he changed his mind for political reasons.
Watch the interview here:
(the Rep. Frank-McCain segment starts at about 3::22)
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