Thousands of Democrats are now descending upon Charlotte North Carolina in preparation for next week's convention. Among them, Barney Frank , who is now serving his sixteenth ... and last ... term as the congressman for Massachussetts fourth district. Few people in Washington have a sharper mind ... or a sharper tongue ... than Barney Frank. When the Democrat from Massachusetts gets up to speak, even Republicans stop what they're doing to listen. He bedevils his enemies and often infuriates his friends. Much-loved for his frumpled attire, he once ran a campaign sign that said Neatness Isn't Everything. His official biography is subtitled America's Only Left-handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman . He came out of the closet in 1987 ... the first member of Congress to do so ... at a time when the only other gays in public life were Liberace and Martina Navratilova. In thirty one years in congress, he has become one of that institution's most powerful members. In surveys of congressional staffers, he is consistently elected "brainiest" , "funniest", "most eloquent" , and the "biggest workhorse". Barney Frank has announced that he will not seek re-election this November. In 1975, Some Kind of Wonderful was a huge hit for Grand Funk Railroad.  And ever since, it has been associated with Grand Funk. But Some Kind of Wonderful wasn't written by, or even for, Grand Funk. John Ellison, the lead singer and songwriter for the Soul Brothers Six, wrote it in 1967. It was a hit for the