Barney Frank

DENVER – U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton) told PolitickerMA.com today he thought Sen. John Kerry’s Wednesday evening convention speech praising Barack Obama was better than the one he gave four years ago when he was seeking the White House.

“John Kerry gave a very good speech last night,” said Frank. “John Kerry gave a speech last night that was better than the one he gave at his own convention.”

“He was more animated, it was funnier,” Frank added.

The 14-term congressman also said Kerry was effective in driving the point home in his speech, which heavily targeted Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Golden) held his own in high-stakes poker Tuesday night – for a while, anyway.

Perlmutter headed to Coors Field for a round of poker with, among others, actor Ben Affleck, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), and Perlmutter’s daughter.

The poker tournament, which required a $500 buy-in, raised money for Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Perlmutter won some hands early on. But an hour and a half in, his luck run out when he went up against a woman from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Holding a king-high flush, Perlmutter said, “I’m think I’m going to take this gal’s money so bad. So I go all in, and it’s everything I have.

“And she has an ace-high flush. I have a king-high flush – I’m out of the game.”

DENVER -- U.S. Rep. Barney Frank gave U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton high marks Wednesday morning for her speech and said that the Party is unified, despite media accounts.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton)Frank (D-Newton), the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, told PolitickerMA.com that Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) was “great” before going into the Massachusetts delegation breakfast, which he sponsored Wednesday morning.

The speech showed the Party is unified, he said, but it didn’t keep the press from reporting on a rift between presumptive nominee Barack Obama’s (Ill.) supporters and Clinton’s that doesn’t exist.

A recent survey of Massachusetts superdelegates that endorsed U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary found that several plan to vote for Clinton on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention next week.

Following news that Clinton's name will be placed in nomination at the convention next week in Devner, PolitickerMA.com contacted every Massachusetts superdelegate that endorsed Clinton in the primary this week and asked if he or she planned to vote for the New York senator on the first ballot for nomination next week.

According to Politico's tally of superdelegates, 11 in Massachusetts delegation endorsed Clinton in the primary.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester) told PolitickerMA.com that he plans to cast his vote for Clinton if her name is on the ballot.

"Yes, I would," McGovern said. "If her name is placed in nomination I'll probably cast my vote for her."

Then-GOP presidential nominees Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney go at it.Mitt Romney's people are fighting back against Barney Frank and the Democratic National Committee for their comments disparaging the vice presidential contender's consistency on the issues.

Though Mike Huckabee's similar comments are getting the kid-glove treatment from Team Romney.

Responding to U.S. Rep. Barney Frank's criticism Thursday morning, Mitt Romney's staff swung back by calling Frank's comments divisive and touting the former governor's record in Massachusetts.

"It shouldn't surprise anyone that bitterly divisive Democrats like Barney Frank don't have anything good to say about Republicans," said Eric Fehrnstrom, a spokesman for Romney. "Fair-minded people look at Mitt Romney and see a strong leader, a man of character and integrity who was elected as governor at a time of job loss and recession and who managed to balance the budget all four years without raising taxes and get the Massachusetts economy moving again."

In case you weren't listening the first time, Mike Huckabee backstops for Barney Frank and John Walsh on the 'He's full of Mitt' argument.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton) sharply criticized Mitt Romney Thursday, characterizing the former governor as the "most intellectually inconsistent politician."

Frank's remarks came on a conference call with reporters as part of coordinated campaign by the Democratic National Committee to discredit politicians believed to be on presumptive Republican nominee John McCain's vice presidential short list. The DNC has launched TheNextChenney.com as part of this effort, and the Romney section of the site went live Thursday.

Colorado held its primary last night, and in the 2nd Congressional District, an openly gay man named Jared Polis won something of an upset victory.

Since the 2nd is a safely Democratic seat being vacated by U.S. Senate Candidate Mark Udall, it is widely assumed that Polis will win in November. Many will say he is the first openly gay man to be elected to Congress, but he is not; he is the first openly gay man to be elected to his first term in Congress.

Massachusetts' 4th District was first in electing an openly gay man to Congress, with then-four term incumbent U.S. Rep. Barney Frank in 1988.

Read about Jared Polis on PolitickerCO.com here.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton), the chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, reported raising more than $380,000 in the second quarter of this year, over a third of the haul coming from political action committees, according to the Federal Election Commission.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton)Frank reported ending the quarter with $817,102 cash on hand, after beginning the quarter with $804,004. He raised $383,086 in the quarter, bringing his fundraising haul to $1,627,256 for the cycle.

In contributions, Frank received the majority of his funds from individuals in the second quarter ($225,255) but also brought in $142,960 from PACs. PACS have contributed $691,479 to Frank this cycle. Among his highest contributors, the United Bank of Switzerland America's Fund for Better Government gave Frank $10,000 over the course of the quarter. Pacific Life, the insurance company, gave Frank $2,000 through its PAC. Prudential Financial Inc.'s PAC also contributed $2,000 to Frank's war chest in the second quarter.