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Barney Frank: I'm interested in being temporary Mass. senator

Fmr. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., proves there's no rest for the recently retired.
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n_mj_frank_130104

Fmr. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., proves there's no rest for the recently retired.

On Friday's Morning Joe, he said conclusively that he has asked Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick if he can temporarily fill Sen. John Kerry's seat, a seat he's held now for almost 20 years. President Obama, of course, has nominated Sen. Kerry for Secretary of State, thus leaving Kerry's seat wide open. But Massachussetts won't hold a special election for Kerry's seat until spring, so that means there's some time to fill.

Hence Frank's interest.

"Would you consider possibly being future Sen. Barney Frank if [Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick] calls you and says "Fill in for a couple of months?," Joe Scarborough asked Frank Friday.

"Two weeks ago I said I wasn’t interested, which is kind of like you’re about to graduate, and they said 'You have to go to summer school,'" Frank said. "That deal now means that February, March and April are going to be among the most important months in American financial [history]."

"So you'd consider it?," Scarborough continued.

Frank replied: "I’m not going to be coy. It’s not something I’ve ever been good at. 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…Coach, put me in!"