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Barney Frank on Brad Sherman: "Not a very good legislator"
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA).
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts jumped into the fight between fellow Democrats Congressmen Howard Berman and Brad Sherman in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday.
In a conference call with reporters and through a statment released by the Berman campaign, Frank said Sherman's claim that he played a key role in shaping the Dodd-Frank financial regulations was “wholly a figment of his imagination.”
The internecine attack came as Berman stuggles to gain traction against Sherman. He finished second in the primary and is well behind him in fundraising in their contest to represent the 30th Congressional District.
Sherman shot back at Frank in an interview with Politico.
“Barney Frank is extremely angry at my efforts against the $700 billion TARP bill ... Barney Frank wants to do everything possible to reelect 'Bailout Berman,'” Sherman said.
In a conference call with reporters and in the Berman-issued press release, Frank was relentless in his criticism of Sherman.
“One of the things that makes him not a very good legislator in my mind is the total lack of understanding that in a legislative body you work with other people," Frank said, echoing attacks by Berman.
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Frank praised Berman in Roll Call's version of the story.
“I am a great admirer of Howard Berman,” Frank told the paper.
Under California's new top-two primary system, members of the same party can face each other in the November election if they are the top two vote-getters. Berman and Sherman ended up in the same Congressional district after last year's redistricting.
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