Jon Stewart had a good piece last night showing how Fox News seemed gleeful now that Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) is retiring from Congress.
As with any elder statesman's retirement, the news of his departure is greeted with respect for his service to the country.
BILL O'REILLY (11/28/2011): Say goodbye to Barney Frank.
STUART VARNEY (11/29/2011): He saw the writing on the wall. He's gone.
FOX NEWS (11/29/2011): Will Barney Frank's departure be a boost for the economy?
You know, I don't know what the Republicans are crowing about. Losing Barney Frank is the worst thing that could happen to conservatives. He is the perfect avatar of everything they hate: gay, Jewish, Taxachusetts, arrogant, condescending liberal. He's your everything bagel.
Video and full transcript below the fold.
Shocking political news yesterday.
MEGYN KELLY (11/28/2011): As expected, Barney Frank, a Congressman in the United States House of Representatives for over three decades, announcing his retirement today, suddenly.
Quitter! He only served 16 terms, or as it's known in the House of Representatives, the Freshman 32. Frank's leaving so early, he hasn't even had a chance to develop a Charlie Rangel front-butt.
I truly hope that that's air. Or a Ted Stevens anger management problem.
SEN. TED STEVENS, R-AK: NO!!!
That guy was in the Senate for 114 years, second longest serving in history.
Now, no one just leaves Congress voluntarily, certainly not one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington. Something's gotta be up.
REP. BARNEY FRANK, D-MA (11/28/2011): I was planning to run again, and then the Congressional redistricting came. ... The fact that it is so new makes it harder in terms of learning about new areas, introducing myself to new people. ... So I would have had this very difficult situation in which I would be going to people in Attleboro, in Bellingham, in other areas, and saying, please, let me be your Congressman, and let me work on your problems.
So Frank's reason for stepping down is that if he did run in 2012, he would for the first time in decades, have to actually make himself appealing to voters. Smart. Course, as with any elder statesman's retirement, the news of his departure is greeted with respect for his service to the country.
BILL O'REILLY (11/28/2011): Say goodbye to Barney Frank.
STUART VARNEY (11/29/2011): He saw the writing on the wall. He's gone.
FOX NEWS (11/29/2011): Will Barney Frank's departure be a boost for the economy?
You know, I don't know what the Republicans are crowing about. Losing Barney Frank is the worst thing that could happen to conservatives. He is the perfect avatar of everything they hate: gay, Jewish, Taxachusetts, arrogant, condescending liberal. He's your everything bagel.
NEWT GINGRICH (10/12/2011): If you want to put people in jail, I want to second what Michele said, you oughta start with Barney Frank.
TUCKER CARLSON (3/22/2011): There is no member of Congress who mistreats other human beings, personally, more consistently and more harshly than Barney Frank. He is really a monster.
GLENN BECK (8/4/2010): He is the slimiest of the slime.
MONICA CROWLEY (10/12/2010): He is corrupt.
FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR (11/29/2011): Barney Frank is an idiot!
DICK MORRIS (6/13/2011): Barney Frank, all he did was run a gay prostitution ring out of his House office.
I thought you guys loved job creators. There's at least three kinds of jobs that... (drowned out by audience applause and cheering)
Look, I don't know what Republicans are going to do. Barney Frank leaves the House Finance Committee, who do they think is going to replace him that they can beat up half as gleefully?
DAVID ASMAN (11/28/2011): He could be replaced by Maxine Waters.
OK, that could work for ya. Maxine Waters, the one under ethics charges for helping a bank her husband owns stock in, the one who called the L.A. Riots a "legitimate rebellion"? This Maxine Waters?
REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-CA (8/20/2011): As far as I'm concerned, the Tea Party can go straight to hell!
All right. The king is dead, long live the queen. You can work with that. We'll be right back.
BTW, can anyone recognize that Fox News contributor in that segment? He looks familiar, but I can't remember his name.
Jon also had a hilarious segment detailing the latest Herman Cain scandal, with the help of his correspondents.
Jon then had
Betty White on as the interview guest.
Meanwhile, Stephen also covered the Herman Cain scandal.