Update: Bob Barr Officially Announces Campaign To Help Democrats Win Presidency
It’s called: “How do I keep myself famous and earning money from that?” With a little old fashioned ego thrown in.
WASHINGTON (AP)—Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr launched a Libertarian Party presidential bid Monday, saying voters are hungry for an alternative to the status quo who would dramatically cut the federal government.
His candidacy throws a wild card into the White House race that many believe could peel away votes from Republican Sen. John McCain given the candidates’ similar positions on fiscal policy.
Barr said he is not getting into the race to play spoiler or to make a point.
“I’ve heard from Americans from all walks of life … they want a choice,” he said at a news conference. “They believe that America has more and better to offer than what the current political situation is serving up to us.”
“We intend to succeed,” he said.
Barr first must win the Libertarian nomination at the party’s national convention that begins May 22. Party officials consider him a front- runner thanks to the national profile he developed as a Georgia congressman from 1995 to 2003.
If he wins the White House, he said he would immediately freeze discretionary spending. He also would begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and consider slashing spending at federal agencies such as the departments of education and commerce—as well as at overseas military bases.
Barr, 59, quit the Republican Party two years ago, saying he had grown disillusioned with its failure to shrink government and its willingness to scale back civil liberties in fighting terrorism.
The Swamp:
by Frank James
Bob Barr, the former Republican congressman made it official today. He’s running for the White House, aiming for the Liberterian Party’s nomination.
Barr, a former federal prosecutor, is probably best remembered as one of the leaders of the Republican House’s impeachment efforts against the President Bill Clinton for committing perjury during a grand jury investigation of the president’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
The former Georgia congressman has written off his old party, however. He’s been a critic of the Bush Administration over what he has seen as violations of constitutionally protected civil liberties as it pursues the war of terror.
As a believer in small-government, he has rebuked the present administration for the growth of the government on its watch, as well as the expanding deficit-spending and borrowing from abroad to finance the government’s expenditures.
What’s more, he has been very upset by Bush’s Iraq invasion which he views as an example of the dangers that can result from an overly large, aggressive federal government.
At his Washington press conference this morning, he offered his candidacy because he won’t be the “status quo” candidate or the “lesser of two evils.” He senses Americans want someone “who will stand up to the forces here in Washington, somebody who is not a part of that fraternity that has given us the crop of current candidates. Somebody who will stand up as precious few presidents have to the powers in Washington who want more, more, more and say no.”
So why does Barr matter? It matters because some Republicans believe Barr could siphon votes away from Sen. John McCain and have the same effect on him in a close election that Ralph Nader had on former Vice President AL Gore in 2000.
Barr said some Republicans have approached him, asking him not to run, saying “that would upset the applecart.”
“That;s exactly the point… If Sen. McCain at the end of the day… does not succeed in winning the presidency, it will be not because of Bob Barr not because of Sen. Obama, it will be because Sen. McCain did not present and his party did not present a vision, an agenda, a platform and a series of programs that actually resonanted with the American people. And it also be because their candidate didn’t resonate positively with the American people.”
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Prick. Always has been.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pmhe is a druggie. he support legalizing ALL drug. all i needed to know
May 12th, 2008 at 1:43 pmCripes! I hope he doesn’t get a damn dime to fund his campaign …
May 12th, 2008 at 1:54 pmThink “Ross Perot”
May 12th, 2008 at 1:54 pmWhen he left Congress, he went to work for the ACLU. Do the math in your heads…..
May 12th, 2008 at 1:57 pmDon’t forget to go to his site to tell him how you feel about his entry into the election.
Ross Perot part II.
www.bobbarr2008.com
May 12th, 2008 at 1:57 pm“We intend to succeed,” he said.
And we intend to stop you from screwing our country.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:58 pmNah. Nowhere near as smart as Perot.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:00 pmHe’ll show his ass like he did in Georgia. Prick was my congressman awhile and didn’t listen to ANYBODY from either party. Just trying to ride the fame he got during the Clinton impeachment. Beyond stupid really.
I’m not so sure how much of an impact he really would have against McCain; those that think we should be fighting the GWOT won’t vote for John anyway.
(Sigh) I was hoping for a bloodbath within the Libertarian Party between Paul & Barr, but now looks like the Paulnuts are going to continue their obnoxious campaign against the majority of Republican voters…
May 12th, 2008 at 3:03 pmWhy can’t we edit our posts, anymore?
May 12th, 2008 at 3:04 pmGreat. Just what we need: more people trying to get He Who Must Not Be Middle Named into the White House.
I used to call myself a libertarian. Then I took a look at everyone else who called themselves libertarians.
I can get behind a lot of the basic doctrine, at least domestically, but between the facts that the foreign and monetary stuff was out there, and that most of the people were batshit crazy, I finally went all the way over to the dark side.
One thing I’ve noticed, though, is that, at least in the Northeast, it’s a lot safer too call yourself libertarian than conservative. Say you’re libertarian, people just shrug.
Say you’re conservative, and they look at you like you eat babies for breakfast. Well, puppies, maybe. Far too many up here wouldn’t blink at infanticide. But run over a squirrel, and suddenly you’re Eichmann.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:38 pmSorry, McCain just endorsed Goreism, and spit in John Bolton’s face.
He is working very effectively to make me NOT vote for him, even tho I swallowed hard and gave him $$ recently.
If I’m not gonna vote for JM anyway, a vote for a Libertarian at least sends a shock to the Repub RINOs. Bob Barr always struck me as a Constitutionalist, someone who WON’T take away your First, Second, or any other Amendment rights.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:17 pmSit down and shut up, Bob!!
May 12th, 2008 at 5:27 pmHere are the four email addresses on his website. Everyone should send him a “Sit down and shut up, Bob!” email.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:36 pmOkay, guys. I gots a plan …
We pull our money together, hire a decent looking hooker, and have her say she did this`n`at with Barr, and completely dirty him up …
Feel free to add to this …
May 12th, 2008 at 5:43 pmHe said today he’d be honored to have Ron Paul as his running mate. If Ron Paul changed his party to Libertarian.
On the John Gibson show.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:35 pmI like your idea, but can we modify it a bit? How about we all pool our money, hire me a hooker, say she did this and that with me, and completely dirty me up. You could then blackmail me in when I run for President in 2012.
At least H. Ross had the decency to campaign early on before dropping out, and then reentering the race. This guy just wants to qualify for campaign matching funds. What a sham.
May 12th, 2008 at 7:02 pmWell, we COULD have her say it was a three way …
May 12th, 2008 at 7:36 pm