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Raining cats and dogs in DC -- we had flood warnings last night -- as I get ready to head down to the National Press Club for Bob Barr's 11 a.m. press conference. As I explain at the American Spectator blog:Hate to spoil any surprises, but as a general rule, politicians don't book an NPC press conference to announce they're not running for president.
The L.A. Times today mentions Barr in talking about Ron Paul's forces opposing Sen. John McCain inside the GOP:
Paul's candidacy [is] a reflection of a powerful lingering dissatisfaction with the Arizona senator among the party's most conservative conservatives. . . . [T]hat situation could be exacerbated by today's expected announcement from former Republican Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia for the Libertarian Party's presidential nod, a slot held by Paul in 1988.
Ralph Z. Hallow of The Washington Times has a story about Republicans who fear the potential impact of a Barr LP candidacy:
Republicans, both publicly and behind the scenes, are saying that a Barr run could hurt him financially and sink Mr. McCain's Republican candidacy in the general election, likely against Sen. Barack Obama.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told The Times today that "Bob Barr will make it marginally easier for Barack Obama to become president. That outcome threatens every libertarian value Barr professes to champion."
Electing the co-author of McCain-Feingold would threaten no libertarian values?BTW, back in February, I was the first journalist to report on the "Draft Barr" movement that led to this campaign. That movement was hatched during CPAC. I first heard about it Feb. 8, a few hours after Barr introduced Ron Paul:
Newt Gingrich as an arbiter of libertarian values? Thanks, Newt. It's great to start the week with a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteBob Barr is living proof that "tough love" works on drug warriors, regardless of the fact that the same term is generally an excuse for brutality & failure in the actual drug war. I'm proud I was part of getting his ass defeated and into private life, where he could better contemplate the error of his drug warrior ways, and sure enough, he came around to MY point of view. Politicians...Ya gotta slap 'em around every once in a while to get 'em to behave properly!!
ReplyDeleteJMR
Glad there are some good McCains. John aka Juan McWar must be your evil twin.
ReplyDeleteWard Ciac II
Ron Paul grew a moustache?
ReplyDelete--See Dubya
Others will probably try to paint Barr as a flip-flopper which will just set the stage for him to explain why others should join him in his migration from big government policies toward more individual liberty. His conversion on the war on drugs earned him the support of the Marijuana Policy Project which helped him secure the Libertarian Party nomination. I like a guy who can say, "I was wrong."
ReplyDelete