Leno: Barney Frank, 10@10 (Video)

On Monday, Barney Frank participated in a segment called "10@10" on The Jay Leno Show.

Leno has guests answer ten questions.

Frank answered the questions remotely. He videotaped outside in Washington, DC, with the Capitol as the backdrop.

As usual, Frank was snarky and offensive and mean-spirited.
Transcript

JAY LENO: Question number one - What is your favorite show on TV?

BARNEY FRANK: The Sopranos because I grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, and it makes me very nostalgic.

LENO: Oh, well, well, you're working in Congress. I can see, yeah, OK. All right. Question number two - Do your best celebrity impression.

FRANK: Henny Youngman. And my favorite line, and it guides me in my work in Congress, 'How's your wife?' 'Compared to what?'

LENO: Well, there you go. Well.

FRANK: Now that's a good one to be able to do 'cuz he's been dead...

For the third question, Frank had to name all the presidents back to FDR in a limited amount of time. There was a clock ticking off the seconds. Frank completed the task.

(Applause)

LENO: Yes, very good. Very impressive. Here's a tricky one, question number four - If you had to have dinner with one of the following political conservatives, which one would you choose: Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter?

FRANK: I couldn't do Yom Kippur on this one, huh?

LENO: No.

FRANK: I guess of the three I would take Rush Limbaugh because it would be very painful, and he would come with the painkillers, which he always has.

(Applause, some groans)

LENO: (Makes the sounds of a cat) All right. Question number five - Have you ever asked a celebrity for an autograph and explain who and why?

FRANK: Yeah, I did actually about, I think it's been about forty, no about, almost, uh, forty-five years ago, I asked Bill Russell, the Celtics great, for an autograph. I didn't realize he didn't like to sign them. I have a much younger brother and I wanted to get him Bill Russell's autograph. But Bill Russell didn't sign autographs so, uh, I didn't get it.

LENO: And that was it. That was the last one.

FRANK: That was the last one. I was scarred by that, and I'm not one of these guys who says, 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.' I don't succeed, boom, I'm outta there.

(Applause)

LENO: Wow, wow, that's a... Yeah, that's a...

FRANK: I have a low tolerance for failure.

LENO: ...a good lesson for our young people. All right.

FRANK: Absolutely. It's late. They should be in bed now.

LENO: Question number six - Last thing you said to a president, any president, you wish you could take back.

FRANK: This is true. 'Don't worry, Mr. Clinton, they don't have the guts to impeach you.'

(Groans, Applause)

LENO: Wow.

FRANK: Wait. In fairness to me, I told him after, not before.

LENO: Question number seven - If you could have a super power, any power, what would it be and why?

FRANK: Oh, easy. It would be the ability to eat as much as I want and not gain weight.

LENO: Wow.

FRANK: Diet Man.

(Applause)

LENO: Diet Man. All right, number eight - If you could kick one politician out of office, who would it be?

FRANK: The guy who's now the governor of Alaska, 'cuz I miss Sarah Palin.

(Laughter, applause)

LENO: Number nine - If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you put it?

FRANK: It would, the tattoo would say, 'Your Name,' and I would have it on my tongue. So, when I ran into someone who was angry that I didn't remember them, I could say, 'Oh, but your name is on the tip of my tongue.'

(Applause)

LENO: Oh, all right. All right, back to Henny Youngman, last question, the most telling question of all, number ten - The last time you went skinny-dipping.

FRANK: Well, I was in Palm Springs in a very private pool. My boyfriend and I were out there doing a fundraiser, and it was a very secluded spot, and we didn't see any helicopters so we went into the pool.

LENO: And hopefully there were no photos?

FRANK: I... well... no. I hope there weren't. Maybe of him it wouldn't be so bad, of me not until I become [unintelligble].

I really hope there were no photos.

I don't think it's appropriate for a U.S. congressman to be on national TV talking about romping around, skinny-dipping with his significant other in a "very secluded spot."

Good grief. Way, WAY too much information.

It's not as if Frank told a story of skinny-dipping when he was a little kid. This was creepy.

Frank's shot at Rush Limbaugh was absolutely inexcusable. Talk about vitriol and incivility!

His shot at Sarah Palin was also uncalled for.

I think Leno's "10@10" segment is awkward and a waste of time.

Who's idea was it to book Barney Frank?

One thing about Leno being on in prime time and potentially reaching a broader audience, more people will be exposed to all the Leftist cheerleading that makes up so much of the monologues and other comedy bits.

When Rush Limbaugh is Leno's guest later this week, I wonder how it would go over if Limbaugh joked about Frank paying Steve Gobie for sex, and a prostitution service being operated out of Frank's home in DC.

Why should it be considered funny that Limbaugh struggled with drug addiction, but Frank's illegal activities aren't used as fodder for laughs?