Remember when Bill O'Reilly and Barney Frank almost killed each other on national television? It was, without question, one of the greatest moments in world history, if only because it inspired this Lil' O'Reilly skit. Tonight they met again.

If there's one thing that formaldehyde-preserved Post columnist Cindy Adams hates more than things that could not happen "only in New York," it's Poindexter politicos using big words. Like today: "Regulation"?!?! Okay, mumbledy-dumbledy!

Christopher Walken turns 66 today. The former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, is 61. Rep. Barney Frank is 69. Ewan McGregor is turning 38. Nutty radio host Michael Savage is 67. Film director Gary Winick is turning 48. Bergdorf fashion director Linda Fargo is 52. Legendary theater impresario Jimmy Nederlander is 87. Rhea Perlman is 61. Actor Richard Chamberlain is turning 75. And Travel Channel host Samantha Brown is celebrating her 40th today.

A little progress has been made in Washington, believe it or not! In case you haven't spent the last four hours watching testimony in front of the Congressional committee looking into the AIG mess, you may be happy to hear that the insurance company's CEO, Ed Liddy, says he's asked the AIG employees who collected big bonuses to give half the money back. Okay, so it means we're only 50 percent of the way closer to a solution to this saga. But Liddy says that some employees have already agreed to the arrangement. And some really generous ones have even offered to give up all the cash!

Don't get us wrong: We despise the arrogant and overpaid financiers responsible for this economic mess. They, not taxpayers, should pay for their incompetence. But banker hatred is starting to get worrisomely extreme.

We were all so excited for the Obama presidency because suddenly all those lovable losers we've grown to love during the Bush years would be influential and important! Hah.

Popular gay socialist Barney Frank is trying to run these auto industry bailout hearings in Congress, but he has to spend time dealing with so much unimportant crap. Here he is trying to explain speaking time limits and travel arrangements for today's hearing. One of his snide-ass colleagues chimes in to tell the auto execs that he won't ask about their travel arrangements: "I'm a congressman, not a Conde Nast travel agent." Yea, you wish you were a Conde Nast travel agent, dork. Also, are you calling Barney Frank gay? Click to watch the outrage.

Barney Frank is now the recipient of two lengthy, glowing magazine profiles—though each in magazines aimed only at his constituents. One is Moe Tkacik's Boston Magazine piece, and the other is in The Advocate, which also gives Frank the cover. Unless you are a right-wing dick convinced that black people buying houses is what caused the economic meltdown, you will only love Barney Frank all the more more upon reading each.

Hah, adorable Congressman Barney Frank was on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me. They quizzed him on Bill O'Reilly's amazingly titled new memoir, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. If you like being a smug liberal, you'll love this link to a public radio broadcast. [NPR]

Hey look! That little Bill O'Reilly-impesonating kid is back! This time he's bellowing at my poor bloated Masshole homeboy Barney Frank. The sheer rage that this little fellow is able to tap into is a bit disturbing. Does the wee ankle-biter know what he's parodying, I mean really? Taking on the living, breathing, wall-rattling avatar of right wing dimbulbery is a pretty heady task for a nine year old. Soldier on, brave spirit. And eat your vegetables.

Apparently there's some meme that 12 Republicans were ready to vote for the bailout package but Democrats' "bedside manner" or something put them off. (UPDATE: Oh Christ, this?) Anyway, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank took a question about this at the Bailout Fail press conference just now and tranched it a new one. Everyone in the room laughed because the room is filled with politicians and journalists and seriously what do they give a shit about the economy, Barney Frank just won himself a 14th term and we will no doubt be seeing more of him. (Gawker day editor Alex Pareene's response: a more succinct "Barney Frank <3!") Swoon, on so many levels! Dow down 603 at close.*

Everyone with an opinion hates the government takeover of the financial system thing. Conservatives hate it because it makes a mockery of capitalism, liberals hate it because they knew capitalism was a mockery to begin with but do they really have to have it shoved in their faces that way, and the only ones who support it are the spineless wimps who just got really scared when some briefer told them the Dow might fall 22%. Those people, Barack Obama included, are, I think we can all agree, pussies.* Which is why I invite you to take a gander at an the angry rant of a supposed anonymous F-bomb wielding Democratic member of Congress about the "petty, childish and completely in character" things he/she would like to do to the likes of Lehman CEO Dick Fuld and Countrywide's Angelo Mozilo and the "dumber than Sarah Palin" Democratic legislator who won't get them done.