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From Hospice, Barney Frank Urges Democrats to Drop Litmus Tests on Hot-Button Social Issues

The liberal icon says the party risks losing voters by pushing the most divisive cultural fights first.

Overview

  • Frank, 86, in hospice care for congestive heart failure, used a CNN interview Sunday to warn that Democrats are turning the most contentious social issues into loyalty tests.
  • He cited transgender athletes in women’s sports as an example and urged a case-by-case approach rather than labeling skeptics as homophobic.
  • In recent comments to Politico, he said the party should explicitly repudiate positions like “defund the police” and “open borders” instead of staying silent.
  • He pointed to Maine’s Senate race after Gov. Janet Mills exited last week, saying presumptive nominee Graham Platner can tap voter anger like Donald Trump yet may struggle to win a general election.
  • He is racing to finish a Yale University Press book due in September that argues liberals lost ground by overlooking inequality and by failing to distance themselves from extreme factions.