Long standing Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank announced his intentions on retiring from Congress during a press conference Monday.

Frank has served in the House since 1980, being one of the first openly gay politicians, and is still very popular in the Northeast and with liberals.

“Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table,” he told a detractor in 2009.

From Reuters:

Frank, 71, said his decision was spurred by the difficulty of running for re-election in a newly redrawn district and his desire to spend more time writing and teaching. He has said to several aides that he did not want to die in Congress.

Democrats expect to keep Frank’s seat as they try to win back control of the House from Republicans in the November 2012 elections.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/28/us-usa-politics-frank-idUSTRE7AR17P20111128

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