Barney Frank's outgoing advice: Don't always listen to partisans

Democratic Rep. Barney Frank, who announced yesterday he will not seek re-election next year, is known as one of the most outspoken liberals in Congress. But as he prepares to retire, one of his outgoing complaints is that Washington has become too partisan.

Asked today what advice he'd give the next Congress, Frank said, "I would say to people in the 113th [Congress] don't take all the activists exactly at their word. I think you've got to be willing to call their bluff on some issues."

The Massachusetts Democrat joked that lately, his political opponents have been able to raise as much money off of his name as he has. Increased partisan activism has contributed to the gridlock in Washington, he said.

"The sharp swing between the elections of 2008 and 2010 means you have people greatly at odds with each other controlling the government," he said.

Meanwhile, he continued, the most politically active voters in country "live in parallel universes," with the left watching the MSNBC cable channel and the right watching Fox News.

"The activists have their own facts," he said. "They do not have a common source of information. So when you go to compromise, the argument is not that you have given in too much, it is that you should not compromise at all because you have the majority."

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