Rep. Frank Emerges as Political Peacemaker

Barney Frank has taken on a central role in Congress: that of an inter-party deal-maker. While he doesn’t hesitate to voice his strong opinions—often with a healthy dose of wit—Republicans and Democrats respect the man administration officials have called “scary smart,” the New York Times reports. The Democratic Massachusetts congressman—chair of an influential financial panel—“doesn’t waste anybody’s time, your time or his,” says Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

“I think that Barney is misunderstood in some quarters as just being a hard-bound ideological liberal,” said a former GOP congressman, "when in fact his legislative career has been really full of accomplishment.” (More Barney Frank stories.)