Barney Frank: ‘Coach, put me in’ as Kerry’s successor

Maybe we haven't seen the last of Barney Frank in the halls of Congress.

Frank, who retired this week after 32 years in the House, revealed on Friday that he told Gov. Deval Patrick he would be interested in serving temporarily as Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry's successor.

"I've told the governor that I would now like, frankly, to do that because I would like to be a part of that," Frank said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Friday.

President Barack Obama last month nominated Kerry as the next U.S. secretary of state. After Senate confirmation, Kerry will resign his seat, which will be temporarily filled by an appointed senator until a special election is held.

And according to Frank, even though he rejected the idea of serving as interim senator as recently as a few weeks ago, the former House Financial Services chairman said he's coming around to the idea now that the "fiscal cliff" deal has left Congress with unfinished economic business.

"That deal now means that February, March and April are going to be among the most important months in American financial history," he said, suggesting the appointment would put him in prime position to participate.

"It's only a three-month period. I wouldn't want to do anything more—I don't want to run again," he said. "Coach, put me in."