What: After admitting he helped his ex-lover get a job with Fannie Mae in the early 1990s, he denied any ethical conflict. “It is a common thing in Washington for members of Congress to have spouses work for the federal government. There is no rule against it at all.” Why it’s dim: If Frank, who from his perch on the House Financial Services Committee was involved in overseeing that company, can’t see the obvious ethical conflict here, then we’ve overestimated his intelligence.
Cure: Frank, who has recently cracked down on staffers who participate in Washington’s revolving-door culture, should just admit he made a mistake.
