Barney Frank, one of the first openly-gay politicians and one of Massachusetts’ most well-known politicians, announced he would not seek re-election.

Frank, who has usually coasted to re-election, has come under fire as chair of the House Banking Committee given the current state of the economy.

Massachusetts Republicans were quick to comment on his decision not to run again:

“It is clear that Congressman Frank was not looking forward to another hard fought campaign after losing his gerrymandered district and spending nearly every penny he had in 2010,” said Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director Nate Little in a statement. “Republicans were already gearing up for a strong race and Frank’s sudden retirement injects added optimism and excitement into the election.”

Frank has been in office since 1981.

FREMONT, Calif. — In 2010, the Energy Department, according to a memo written by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, asked the Solyndra solar equipment company to push back their announcement discussing layoffs until the 2010 midterm elections. The manufacturer is now being criticized in the 14-­page memo as it investigates Solyndra and its intentions. In 2009, the Department of Energy granted a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra, but as the company filed for bankruptcy in September 2011, it was forced to dismiss more than 1,000 of its workers.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s memo acts as a basis for questioning Steven Chu, the U.S. Energy Secretary, in his hearing tomorrow. Chu will be queried regarding his relationship with Solyndra’s federal loan guarantee as well as the risky decision to reconstruct the loan from earlier this year. According to the memo, Brian Harrison, CEO of Solyndra from July 2010 until he resigned on October 7 of this year, sent the department an email of his plans to inform employees of future layoffs. This email was forwarded to Chu’s Chief of Staff and Vice President Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff, in which they advised Solyndra to hold off on their announcement until November 3, the day after the 2010 congressional midterm elections.

The memo also includes information about the controversial decision to reform Solyndra’s loan. The memo says that Chu met with Jacob Lew, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, in the beginning of the year to discuss Solyndra’s loan program. No evidence has yet established that the loan guarantee was granted due to political favoritism. The hearing of Chu’s testimony, entitled “The Solyndra Failure: Views from DOE Secretary Chu,” is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, November 17 at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Crazy Michele Bachmann can’t spell “America” or “Congresswoman” according to her website’s Yahoo listing.

Huffington Post caught the series of errors.

Bachmann, a Republican from Minnesota, also lobbied her constituents not to fill out the 2010 Census.

Just as President Obama, during a speech about health care reform at a joint session of Congress Wednesday night, stated his new health care plan would not cover illegal immigrants, Joe Wilson did the unthinkable. “You lie!” he shouted at the President, anger spewing from his mouth and his gaze.

Honestly, it sounds fictional. It sounds like a bad political novel. Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina’s 2^nd district has managed to catapult himself into the international spotlight by, as VP Joe Biden put it so eloquently, “demeaning the institution.” And that he did.

It takes guts to call out the President, especially when you are watching him give a speech firsthand. But being courageous, at the wrong time, has its consequences. Loudmouth Joe was immediately booed by hundreds of Democrats. Republicans lambasted the 5^th term representative for being disrespectful and breaking Congress rules.

Wilson had to apologize immediately after, and though he didn’t get to say sorry face-to-face with the President, Obama accepted the apology. To me, these apologies mean little anyway. Anyone can say “sorry” after the fact, but it take someone of real integrity not to make the mistake in the first place. Or, in this case, someone with with half a brain.

Many of the more vocal republicans have been quite outspoken when it comes to the issue of the new health care plan giving benefits to illegal immigrants. Obama has said time and time again that it won’t, but, apparently for Loudmouth Joe and many others, that hasn’t been enough.

Sadly, because the health care document is more then 1,000 boring, boring pages, no one will ever read through it to find the truth. Or, we could just listen to the President.

Even if you choose not to, just don’t take a page out of Joe’s book. We don’t need another Joe in the spotlight. That plumber was enough.

Moments after the American public learned that South Carolina Republican Congressman Joe Wilson was the one that pointed a finger at the president and called him a liar on national television, the digital race was on to see who would flame Wilson the most, and how big the fire would spread.

The digital world came alive, and Wilson was quickly one of the most “trended topics” on Twitter.

Then Wilson’s website, http://www.joewilson.house.gov/ went down with a placeholder page that said: “This site is down for maintenance. Please check back soon.”

Then he became one of the most Googled terms of the day.

Some people even fired back. According to CNN, some new Twitter accounts were created, with their first and only Tweets being in support of Wilson.

But even other members of Congress went public and digital with their condemnation of Wilson: “Biggest disappointment of evening, the total lack of respect show by one member for the president,” Tweeted Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri. “Never acceptable to behave like a jerk.”

According to CNN, South Carolina Democratic chairwoman Carol Fowler capitalized: “Once again a South Carolina Republican has embarrassed our state,” Fowler’s office said, referring to S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s extramarital, international affair. “Never has any member of Congress shown such disrespect for the president during a speech. … Joe Wilson is a poor example of a statesman and an American.”

Wilson currently faces Democratic challenger Rob Miller in the mid-term election in 2010.

The time has come. Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress takes place tonight at 9 p.m., broadcast on all major television stations. Will he extend a hand towards Iran, following up on his promise to engage in open discourse with President Ahmadinejad? What will he say about health care reform? The economy?‚ 

We’ll see tonight. But we know one thing, the kid is feeling some pressure. It’s a big speech that will outline what Americans and the world can expect over the next few months and perhaps even years.

He may talk about what the administration refers to as “AFPAK” – the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I refer to it as a double-edged sword that has the potential to maim the collective world.

Obama said he’s going to send nearly 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, but as CNN’s Christiane Amanpour outlines in a report, “[he]‚ seems to be pulling back from a promise to help rebuild Afghanistan and promote democracy there.”

The economy will for sure come up, and the kid is going to have to outline a plan to cut spending, something he said is absolutely necessary. The U.S. spends so much money on foreign missions, and right now we can’t afford to help everyone in the world without first helping ourselves. We should be priority number one. Too many people are out of work, that’s just a fact.

Obama will hopefully come through on a lot of his campaign promises tonight, especially those to do with foreign policy and the economy (one of the main reasons he was elected was because his economic plan kicked McCain’s ass).‚ 

In classic Obama fashion, everything he says will sound great, just because of his oration skills. But how much substance there will be beneath the kid’s words will be open for debate following his speech.

North Pole “" On an early weekday morning in the Arctic, Santa Claus sits at the head of a large conference table, surrounded by perhaps a dozen of his associates.

Claus, 145, is holding his annual Christmas preparation meeting, which takes place every Dec. 1.

Among those flanking Claus are his director of transportation, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as well as several veteran elves who head his manufacturing team. They look anxious as Claus begins the meeting.

The annual meeting is typically a festive “" if dizzying “" affair, as key Christmas officials plan for their busy season. It is, after all, almost Christmas: a multibillion-dollar, worldwide project that not only brings joy to millions of families, but may also be the most ambitious commercial enterprise in modern history.

But this year is different. Faced with the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, this year’s meeting is absent the yuletide giddiness that Christmas executives often exude as they enter the home stretch of the holiday season.

While the North Pole may be, from a geographical standpoint, the most isolated place to work in the entire world, Claus and his staff of more than 1,000 now find themselves in the thick of the global recession.

And, as is always the case when standing at the North Pole, all directions are pointing south.

“My friends, I cannot mince words. The global economic downturn has turned our financial structure on its head, and we must find a way to make ends meet” said Claus, whose bright red nose contrasted mightily with the look of abject fear in his eyes. “Nothing is off the table “" layoffs, cuts in services, government aid, increased fundraising “" we must act now to remain sustainable, or there may be no Christmas this year.”

“ËœPerfect storm’

Indeed, the finances are not pretty. While Claus maintains that he kept impeccable records of all his expenses, he said the current crisis constitutes a perfect storm of economic trouble.

In July, facing record-high oil prices, Claus feared that, if the cost of heating fuel rose any further, he would struggle to heat his headquarters, which are located in a region where winter temperatures range from 45 below zero to minus 15. So Claus locked in on a contract for heating oil at about $5 per gallon; since then, the price of crude oil has plummeted from its peak of $147 at a barrel to around $40 now, and heating oil is now selling for less than $3 a gallon.

“It is so frustrating” he said. “I thought it was going to keep going up. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

And that is just the start of the problems facing the Christmas industry this year. Claus’ elves, who live together in a large housing complex, foolishly bought into an adjustable-rate subprime mortgage in 2006, before the housing bubble had burst. Now, unable to make their monthly payments and still send the kids through Elf School, they are 23 days into a foreclosure process.

Further, Claus has been disproportionately affected by the rising costs of health care. Elves, which make up the bulk of Santa’s work force, are thought to be immortal, meaning their pensions and health-care benefits never stop. Further, they are also thought to be “gods of fertility” according to Germanic mythology, and reproduce more often than humans.

“My labor costs are through the roof. If I hired elves overseas, they could work for 8 cents an hour” Claus said, who noted that massive elf layoffs are possible if they are not willing to make concessions.

The Elves Union has publicly cautioned Santa to rule out layoffs.

“Elves are the lifeblood of Christmas, even if they may not get the recognition that Santa Claus gets” said one representative of the Elves Union. “Besides, maybe Santa ought to consider ways to cut his own health-care costs. I have heard of him eating thousands of cookies in a single night, and he has a body mass index of 34.9, which makes him morbidly obese.”

Too big to fail

“I don’t want to see anyone lose his or her job” Claus said, and layoffs will be used only as a last resort.

Claus has sent formal letters to President-elect Barack Obama; Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; and Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Finance Committee, asking for a government loan of $39 billion.

“AIG gets a bailout. Citigroup gets a bailout” said a disheveled-looking Claus as his sipped his third cup of eggnog. “I bring Christmas cheer to millions of people all over the globe and singlehandedly keep the retail sector afloat for months at a time. Where is my bailout?”

According to The Economist, American retailers make 25 percent of their yearly sales and 60 percent of their profits between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“Christmas is simply too big to fail” Claus said.

Frank, the Massachusetts congressman, said he’s aware of how important Christmas is to the national economy, and his committee will look at a Christmas bailout. But, he warned, any package would include far more intrusive regulations than Claus has been subject to in the past.

“We want coal and wood to be placed in each stocking, so we can help needy families who are struggling with heating their homes” Frank said. “And we will make sure that Claus is investing in green technology as well.”

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has also come out in favor of a Christmas bailout.

“Darn right Santa needs a bailout. He is crucial to U.S. economic stability and bringing good jobs” she said. “I should know; I can see the North Pole from my home in Alaska.”

Santa Claus and an Elf leave the Capitol Building after testifying before the House Finance Committee; Claus is asking for money from U.S. taxpayers to help fund Christmas this year

If Claus is unable to secure a bailout, he said he will have to make painful cuts.

He has already raised his standards for children to be put on his “nice” list, and as a result more than 27,000 children who were eligible for Christmas services in 2008 will be placed on the “naughty list.” That saved Claus more than $3 million, but he said it is still not nearly enough.

Christmas officials have suggested other controversial ideas, such as having Claus send e-cards to cut down on shipping and administrative costs, basing eligibility for services on income, and even selling some treasures from his headquarters.

“Did you know that I, St. Nick, am the “Ëœpatron saint of pawnbroking’?” Claus joked. “It is true. So maybe we will start liquidating some of our items. There must be a museum or two out there that would want a titanium sled with NORAD tracking capabilities.”

But above all else, Claus said, he is concerned about the children and how they may be affected this Christmas.

“I want children to know that, just because there may not be as many gifts under the tree this year, that does not mean it cannot be a great Christmas” Claus said. “It is just a tough year for a lot of parents, and for Santa. But we will get through it.”

Photo Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

New England’s lone republican congressman may be in a heap of trouble tonight.

Chris Shays, 63, a veteran Fairfield County Republican is facing down the younger James Himes, 42, a feisty Democrat who may ride the Democratic tidal wave to Washington tonight.

The early buzz coming out of Connecticut is that Shays has the fight of his life on his hands.

Shays served in the Connecticut House from 1974 to 1987. He was elected to the U.S. House in an August 1987 special election.

Himes was born in Peru and arrived in the US at age 10. He’s a Harvard graduate and a Rhodes Scholar. He is a former vice president of Goldman Sachs and now vice president of Enterprise Foundation, a non-profit community affordable housing organization.

A series of proposed revisions to the Bush administration’s $700 billion financial bailout has stalled its implementation.

The White House meeting was meant to show how congressional republicans and democrats can come together when the country is in need.‚  Instead, the division between the parties has proved to be quite wide.

Only one set of agreements revising the initially proposed bailout was reached.

Most people expected that this plan wouldn’t go through without glitches.‚  Republicans and democrats have some very different views on this bailout, and its becoming more and more obvious.

I didn’t catch Bush’s address last night but I did read the transcript. It was intended for the average American, trying to explain how the bailout would effect them without using too many numbers or financial terminology.

To me it seemed a little but too fluffy. The problem was that he didn’t sufficiently explain WHY his administration thinks this bailout is the best option for the country.‚  I wanted to hear a better justification for spending $700 billion.

You know, it’s hard to comprehend how much $700 billion actually is.‚  How would that be spent by an everyday citizen?‚  What would you do if you had that much money?‚  Traveling the world and buying a zoo or something would only blow millions.

Let us know how you would spent it.

As you probably know, Roger Clemens is under investigation in the baseball performance enhancing drug scandal.

Every media outlet in every direction is analyzing quotes and the he-said, she-said and trying to figure out who is telling the truth and who isn’t.

I’m not here to do that.

I believe he’s guilty of getting his ass injected with something illegal, and I’m just going to assume he’s lying to Congress.

For four hours and 41 minutes on Wednesday, Clemens did himself no favors. Actually, he hasn’t been helping his case to remain a free American since he started denying steroid allegations to the government. It’s one thing to tell the New York Daily News that you didn’t take steroids. It’s one thing to tell your friends. It’s one thing to tell ESPN. However, Mr. Clemens, it is an entirely different issue to lie to Congress. They tend to frown upon that.

Lying to the public may not get you into the Hall of Fame and you may lose some/all endorsements, but it doesn’t get you thrown in jail. It’s bad news when a congressman feels compelled to tell you he thinks you are full of it.

“It’s hard to believe you, Sir,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said. “I hate to say that. You’re one of my heroes, but itts hard to believe you.”

Remember this is coming from someone who listens to B.S. all day every day.

Chris Webber found himself in a similar situation years ago when he had to testify under oath about possible NCAA violations. It’s not worth it to lie to Congress about a criminal or minor criminal act. Who cares if the University of Michigan can’t get top recruits for a few years? Who cares if your autographed baseballs aren’t worth as much anymore?

Are those things desirable? No, but they also are a great alternative to jail. Clemens is now putting himself in a situation where he could possibly could lose his freedom. His ego and they-can-never-touch me attitude has finally gotten the best of him.