The high-profile "counter-intimidation," as Frank put it, drew high-profile, right-wing opinion maker Rush Limbaugh. He jumped in on his syndicated radio broadcast, telling Frank that the administration's offer of false hope is typical behavior.

"Who are we talking about here? We are talking about the (Obama) regime. And Barney, the regime will screw you just like they'll screw anybody else. It doesn't matter if you're all Democrats, but learn it, love it, live it. Barney has got to learn that he lives in the land of Obama-ville, where the leader lies about everything. I know it's about the animals and the environment and all kinds of things."

Limbaugh briefly explained what is happening with catch shares, then went on, partly by reading newspaper accounts. "While smaller boats claim it will drive them out of business, the new catch share system is viewed by some as a more equitable way to manage stocks and prevent overfishing. Yeah, socialism, make everything equally miserable. Equally undersupplied. Equally woeful. And by all means don't let the market have anything to say about this. No, the regime and Gary Locke. So Obama is killing another industry," Limbaugh said, according to a transcript on the website SavingSeafood.org.

Mayor Scott W. Lang told The Standard-Times he has spoken to several major national news organizations in the past three days. In Washington, D.C., this week for the national mayors' conference, Lang spent time in a closed-door Capitol Hill meeting with Frank and U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, D-N.C.

Read the complete story from the Standard-Times.