Mass. Flirts with Barney Frank Defeat

Boston Herald columnist Margery Eagen describes some signs that Democratic icon Rep. Barney Frank may be facing a novel wave of support for his GOP opponent Sean Bielat. Could a perennial Democratic stronghold be in trouble? The battle of political lawn signs may have deep implications, according to this Boston Herald portrait.

"For 25 years I’ve lived in Brookline, where Republicans admit they’re Republicans at their own risk," writes Eagen. "Yet I haven’t seen so many lawn signs for a Republican since a few courageous matrons put a 'Weld for Governor' placard on their lawn in 1990 and paid the price: social suicide. They were promptly shunned at Whole Foods. Their poor children sat alone in the cafeteria."

Eagen concludes that all this "says something huge about Barney Frank’s fall from grace that a few brave Brookline-ites are ready, again, to risk their neighbors’ wrath."