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Former Georgia Republican Rep. Bob Barr launched a Libertarian Party presidential bid Monday, promising an alternative to the big government approaches of all three presidential candidates. While in Congress, Barr was a key leader in the impeachment proceedings against former President Bill Clinton. Seeing that Republicans are no longer fiscal conservatives, Barr left the Republican Party two years ago.
Barr’s campaign platform includes themes that Republicans of old used to value. Barr believes that government spending at all levels is out of control.
Tens of billions of dollars in corporate welfare - essentially aid to dependent corporations - should be eliminated. Largesse for middle- and upper-income Americans, particularly so-called “entitlement” programs, must be cut. Billions in so-called defense spending, which protects America’s populous, prosperous allies rather than Americans, must be eliminated.
Barr would push to adopt a national sales tax, replacing the Internal Revenue Service and all federal income taxes, as well as payroll taxes. Barr would also push to repeal the 16th amendment, which authorizes Congress to levy an income tax in order to keep his fair tax proposal permanent.
Barr disagrees with government making surrogate decisions about the lives of citizens, seeking to restore our founding fathers’ belief in liberty and recognizing that responsible citizenship requires everyone to be held accountable for the good and bad decisions they make. Barr says, “the sustained government attack on the sanctity of the rights of the individual, including their right to be secure in their privacy and property, has created a moral and Constitutional crisis.”
On immigration, Barr wants to restrict access to public services for undocumented aliens because, to date, such access exists to the detriment of those who would enter the country to work productively and also increases the burden on taxpayers.
On national defense, Barr is tired of using the U.S. military as the world’s police force: “Our great military has been too willingly and quickly used for purposes other than national defense.” Barr wants to use our military when foreign aggressors attack, not simply for interventionist initiatives.
Although Barr may have entered the race too late, there are millions of Americans who might be willing to vote for Barr to protest government monopoly power and spending promoted by both Democrats and Republicans, as some have recently argued. Over the past decade, Barr reminds us, total government spending nationwide (state, local and federal) has increased from $2.9 trillion to $5.1 trillion in 2008.
For those looking for real change in Washington in 2008, Bob Barr may pose a challenge to both big government Republicans and even bigger government Democrats.
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A matter of life
I can’t actually find Barr’s campaign platform, even on his links as given.
Where does he stand on pro-life issues? On defense-of-marriage? How would he respond to aggression from Red China toward Taiwan and Japan and other countries? How does he plan on responding to Islamic terrorism which is rooted deeply in the Middle East? How does he propose to keep Russia from once again annexing and crushing the countries around it? How would he respond to another 9/11? How does he propose turning around the socialistic/debt-driven/welfare state which now defines this country without causing destabilizing riots and huge upheavals and probable massive civic unrest?
It is fine to rail against the current mess. But exactly how does he plan on extricating us from it, without making things even worse?
A vote for Barr is a vote for the Democratic nominee. Knowing this, the media will give more coverage, and more favorable coverage, to Barr than to any Libertarian in history.
Thanks for the article Anthony, I know nothing about this man other thatn this short piece.
Could you do another, more in-depth story on him?
I was hoping he’d jump in. I don’t know precisely where he stands on some issues (I have a hard time keeping track of politicians who don’t stay in the public eye), but I believe he’s a solid conservative. If I’m wrong I won’t vote for him. I will check him out, but if he passes muster, I’m voting Libertarian this year, my first time ever. (The Libertarian platform has the government staying out of abortion; I don’t like that. But if he’s anti-abortion and relatively solid on the other issues, he’s my man.)
Drill - Libertarians are generally very pro-abortion and very ‘anything goes’ on matters of sex (other than, perhaps, matters involving children).
In a heavily Blue State, one’s vote going to Barr rather than a Republican would not help the Democrats. Some states will be double digit D no matter how the state’s rs vote.
KRM–
Interesting point about voting Libertarian in a blue state. Hurrah! for the Electoral College!
“Our great military has been too willingly and quickly used for purposes other than national defense.” Barr wants to use our military when foreign aggressors attack, not simply for interventionist initiatives.
Well, that is exactly how or m9military is being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were attacked on 911 and lost more Americans than we did at Pearl Harbor.
This man’s plan is to help Marxist socialists on the left get elected an nothing.
If he wanted to make decent change he would have stayed in the Republican party and help fix it.
The Democrat party is too far gone to ever be fixed but this is not true for the Republican party. The only way this will ever be true for the Rep Party is when people really wanting to set things right would immediately realize the best way to do so is from within the party.
Poor Bob Barr has become a provocateur, a quitter, an under-miner and a spoiler. As such, he can never be trusted.
I can’t tell from the picture, but a friend of mine claims Barr is “high yella.” Does anyone know for sure?
Dittos to what Llama and KRM have posted on Barr.
Night Train,
I’d say you don’t need friends like that.
Well, that is exactly how or m9military is being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were attacked on 911 and lost more Americans than we did at Pearl Harbor.
And then we lost more Americans than did in either Pearl Harbor or 9/11 by attacking a country that had nothing to do with 9/11…
That’s interventionist. And very wrong.
Barr is correct only in so far that he recognizes we spend untold billions on projects and programs which are nowhere required or permitted by the constitution. LBJ and George Bush ea naively felt they could fight a costly war on the cheap (no taxes or govt spending cuts to finance it). While plunging the nation into a war, neither man saw a need to scale back on lavish costly budget-busting nondefense spending.
Barr’s campaign will get nowhere but someone needs to be saying the things he is saying.
Of course unless Hannity or Limbaugh give him air time, dont anyone expect the MSM to devote airtime or newsprint to this chap at all!