James Freeman of the Wall Street Journal thinks Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) could be facing his most serious challenge from a Republican candidate in years.  After Sen.-elect Scott Brown’s remarkable victory in the Bay State, Democrats are looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren’t caught flat-footed in the same way the campaign of Martha Coakley was.  Writes Freeman:

In the wake of Scott Brown’s Senate election victory in Massachusetts, Republicans are increasingly confident they can break the Democratic monopoly on the state’s 10 House seats. In fact, Massachusetts GOP chair Jennifer Nassour says: “There is not a seat that is not vulnerable.”

Freeman goes on to note Frank’s win in 2008, with a whopping 68% of the vote, was one of his smallest margins of victory in years:  ”In many years, he ran unopposed, collecting virtually 100% of the vote. And because Mr. Frank’s decline began even before the recent rebellion over health-care reform and deficit spending, a good bet is that he’s been neglecting basic constituent services.”

But Mark Glaze, a Democratic strategist with the Washington, D.C.-based Raben Group says Freeman may be engaged in some wishful thinking.  ”Barney has the finest constituent service of any member in the House.  His (recent) vote totals in part reflect an expensive, effective campaign by some on the right to falsely blame him for a financial crisis he’s in fact fighting very hard to fix.”

But if it begins to look like Frank has a real fight on his hands, will the LGBT community pitch in to protect the longest-serving openly gay Member of Congress?  Asked the question today, Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe gave a rather definitive answer.  ”Hell yes.”