Barney Frank’s questions about Big Conservative Government’s advocates’ unwavering and prurient interest in regulating pot and sex get no respect from co-panelists George “Gateway Drug” Will and Paul “I Smirk” Ryan. Then the Massachusetts Congressman gets totally shut down by lame duck anchor Christiane Amanpour, who’d prefer to return to her chosen topic of ‘social mobility’ than let Barney deftly pierce the inherent personal liberty contradictions of her guests’ preferred regulatory regime.

Barney Frank revels in the opportunity to speak directly to people who have no response but to smirk at him (Ryan) or to ask for another several decades of pot research before making up their minds whether it’s a gateway drug (Will).

Luckily for the two libertarian conservatives (“regulation for thee but not for me“) they get rescued from Barney Frank’s incisive questioning by not-long-for-this-programme Christiane Amanpour, for whom Paul Ryan seems extraordinarily grateful as the clip ends. Any anchor interested in promoting debate would back up Barney Frank by saying, “Yeah, what about that, Paul Ryan?” but she’s learned from her Sundays-in-DC stint that power brokers giving off that please-change-the-subject stink must not be thwarted.

Conservative Fannie/Freddie revisionists and anti-gay bomb-throwing trolls be damned. I’m gonna miss Barney Frank skewering these pompous blowhards, whether on the Sunday shows or the House floor. Here’s an oldie but goodie just in case you’ve never had the opportunity to see Congressman Frank in the Speaker’s chair when Patrick McHenry had the misfortune to take the floor.

We shall not, I fear, see or hear his equal preside over the House again.