My Favorite Pragmatic Liberal in Congress

A Liberal Wit Builds Bridges to the G.O.P.

Many say they also respect his zest for cutting a deal and, indeed, Mr. Frank still hopes to reach one on the housing legislation. To appeal to the White House, he has made numerous revisions, including dropping a plan to have the government serve as a clearinghouse for auctioning bundles of refinanced mortgages…

What vexes the administration, at times, is that he also holds strong liberal feelings about what he views as the government’s top obligations — to aid the poor and protect victims of discrimination, to police the markets and, in the case of as many as two million Americans at risk of losing their homes, to offer a helping hand if one is needed.