Bob Barr - are you people kidding me?

[0zzy]

I am not aware of how Paul voted on the drug war amendment, but I do know that Paul WAS NOT IN CONGRESS when the Defense of Marriage act was voted on.

And he said several times he would vote for it, cause ya know, he believes in a thing called federalism.

 

[Alex Libman]

Don't like Bob Barr, support another LP candidate.

 

[Bradley in DC]

I am not aware of how Paul voted on the drug war amendment, but I do know that Paul WAS NOT IN CONGRESS when the Defense of Marriage act was voted on.

Barr had a decidedly mixed record on the drug war: opposing Know Your Customer, supporting reforms to curb civil asset forfeiture abuses, etc--with Dr. Paul. And Dr. Paul did vote for the Barr amendments for a spending limitation regarding medical marijuana in DC.

I stand corrected. He just said HE WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR the Defense of Marriage Act.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul207.html
An example of Ron Paul’s views…
If I were in Congress in 1996, I would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which used Congress’s constitutional authority to define what official state documents other states have to recognize under the Full Faith and Credit Clause, to ensure that no state would be forced to recognize a “same sex” marriage license issued in another state. This Congress, I was an original cosponsor of the Marriage Protection Act, HR 3313, that removes challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act from federal courts’ jurisdiction. If I were a member of the Texas legislature, I would do all I could to oppose any attempt by rogue judges to impose a new definition of marriage on the people of my state.


On the drug war question:

http://www.westernstandard.ca/website/article.php?id=2765&start=1

. . . My $5,000 investment in medical cannabis legality went up in smoke, and I’ve had Bob Barr on my Top 10 Enemies List for many years since then. In his Congressional heyday, Bob Barr was the poster boy for vindictive Southern social conservatism on the drug war. Barr even voted for and lobbied for a ban on industrial hemp products even entering the U.S. When Barr lost his Congressional seat in the 2002 Republican primaries, the U.S. Libertarian Party was overjoyed, trumpeting on their website the end of “U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, the worst drug warrior in Congress.” However, over the last five or six years since, Barr spoke, wrote and commented more and more frequently on the rise of U.S. government power and how it was the greatest menace to American citizens. Barr began to regret his unconstitutional incursions into the lives of Americans, including his support of the Patriot Act and drug laws. Ultimately, he renounced his drug warrior past in late 2006, joined the Libertarian Party in 2007, and will announce his candidacy for the Presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party later this month. More stunningly, the well-heeled Marijuana Policy Project (with $2-$3 million annually from Progressive Insurance founder Peter Lewis) lobby group that operates in all 50 states hired Bob Barr as a Congressional lobbyist to--get this--repeal The Barr Amendment and any other federal impediments to implementing state medical marijuana initiatives.

Bob Barr will be a formidable Libertarian candidate in the November general election, appealing to old-school conservatives, Clinton-haters (Barr led the House Impeachment Republicans), Southerners, and constitutionalists. Additionally, Bob Barr appears to have become a Ron Paul protégé, with the maverick Texan Republican endorsing Barr’s Libertarian bid while Paul himself is still in the race for the GOP nomination. Ron Paul has $5,500,000 from his campaign in the bank and no plans to use it, plus an email and volunteer list of 400,000 zealous donors, converts, and activists. Short of Republican presumptive nominee John McCain having a heart-attack (though, considering his age, it’s not that unlikely), it’s likely Paul will not get the Republican nomination; so, ruling out any support of John McCain, and with his close acolyte Bob Barr getting the Libertarian Party nomination, that $5.5 million and massive contact list is a potential McCain killer in the November election--as if McCain weren’t already behind the eight ball. But it’s clear that Ron Paul Revolutionaries will play a deciding role in the November U.S. election, and it could be thanks to my former archenemy Bob Barr, much to my surprise. Although in 1998 I thought my $5,000 was “stolen” by Barr, the triumph of ideas ultimately prevails and makes the sweetest revenge.

Discuss this column online

Marc Emery, the "Prince of Pot," is the publisher of Cannabis Culture Magazine, the President and Leader of the BC Marijuana Party and a radical for capitalism since 1980.

Similarly, Rob Kampia (head of the Marijuana Policy Project) was at Barr's press conference today supporting him.

 

[TruthAtLast]

Our Movement seems to leave little room for personal discovery and enlightenment. We constantly say that we want to "convert" the People of this country, then when someone actually does show signs of conversion we stuff their face in the mud because they weren't ALWAYS converted. That kind of self-righteous attitude can turn a lot of people away from the Movement and tarnish the Message that we are trying to deliver.

Can anyone measure up to the perfect and infallible Ron Paul? Probably not. (that seems to be the pedestal that we've placed him on)

If our standards for supporting anyone is for them to be an exact Ron Paul clone, then this Movement will never reach its goal for any REAL change.

I'm not saying Bob Barr is perfect and I haven't even decided if I will vote for him or donate to him, but I'm willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and listen to what he has to say over the next couple of months. If he truly has had a change of heart then it is on him to prove this to us.

I think we should hold judgment for the time being and see what happens.

 

[bkreigh]

Our Movement seems to leave little room for personal discovery and enlightenment. We constantly say that we want to "convert" the People of this country, then when someone actually does show signs of conversion we stuff their face in the mud because they weren't ALWAYS converted. That kind of self-righteous attitude can turn a lot of people away from the Movement and tarnish the Message that we are trying to deliver.

Can anyone measure up to the perfect and infallible Ron Paul? Probably not. (that seems to be the pedestal that we've placed him on)

If our standards for supporting anyone is for them to be an exact Ron Paul clone, then this Movement will never reach its goal for any REAL change.

I'm not saying Bob Barr is perfect and I haven't even decided if I will vote for him or donate to him, but I'm willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and listen to what he has to say over the next couple of months. If he truly has had a change of heart then it is on him to prove this to us.

I think we should hold judgment for the time being and see what happens.

I agree 100%

To be honest with you i am very ignorant to Barr's voting record. Hell i was ignorant to a lot of political mumbo jumbo until i heard Ron Paul speak. I know i am way behind the 8 ball but at the same time i am ahead of a lot of people.

I think we should big Barr a chance. I have yet to decide if i will cast my vote for him but right now he is definitely an option. It would be impossible to find somebody that agrees with Ron Paul 100%.

I see a lot of debate on Barr's drug war voting record. But is this one of the most important issues right now?

 

[mdh]

I agree 100%

To be honest with you i am very ignorant to Barr's voting record. Hell i was ignorant to a lot of political mumbo jumbo until i heard Ron Paul speak. I know i am way behind the 8 ball but at the same time i am ahead of a lot of people.

I think we should big Barr a chance. I have yet to decide if i will cast my vote for him but right now he is definitely an option. It would be impossible to find somebody that agrees with Ron Paul 100%.

I see a lot of debate on Barr's drug war voting record. But is this one of the most important issues right now?

Are you a delegate to the Libertarian National Convention?

 

[bkreigh]

Are you a delegate to the Libertarian National Convention?

No. Perhaps i should have said "support" instead of vote.

 

[oldjersey]

Our Movement seems to leave little room for personal discovery and enlightenment. We constantly say that we want to "convert" the People of this country, then when someone actually does show signs of conversion we stuff their face in the mud because they weren't ALWAYS converted. That kind of self-righteous attitude can turn a lot of people away from the Movement and tarnish the Message that we are trying to deliver.....

That is all well and good, but this was a person who did hold the power, and abused it when he did.

Dr. Paul himself points out those who voted for the Patriot Act.

 

[JS4Pat]

Our Movement seems to leave little room for personal discovery and enlightenment. We constantly say that we want to "convert" the People of this country, then when someone actually does show signs of conversion we stuff their face in the mud because they weren't ALWAYS converted.

I believe people can "come around" and "See the light".

However I am very leary of any UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN who doesn't understand the unconstitutionality of something like the Patriot Act or transferring the power to declare war from the Legislative to the Executive Branch.

I would hope conversions as significant as that happen BEFORE serving in the US Congress...

 

[HenryKnoxFineBooks]

I can forgive Barr his Patriot Act vote. He DID add the sunset clause, and he always says how he regrets it on every interview I've heard him on. He truly seems to be a Republican who has had an "awakening" and embraced his libertarian core.

Listen to the man and judge yourself.




plus, if he wins, I'm sure he'll have a cabinet spot or supreme court appointment for a certain texas congressman...

 

[Bradley in DC]

plus, if he wins, I'm sure he'll have a cabinet spot or supreme court appointment for a certain texas congressman...

I was thinking we could use a new Fed chairman.

 

[tonyr1988]

I was thinking we could use a new, final Fed chairman.

Fixed it for you.

 

[porcupine]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul207.html

<sarcasm>

That's it, I can't vote for Ron Paul. He's too much like Bob Barr

</sarcasm>

 

[oldjersey]

<sarcasm>

That's it, I can't vote for Ron Paul. He's too much like Bob Barr

</sarcasm>

The Defense of Marriage Act was more than just protecting states rights, read the entire legislation. The fact is Barr is not Ron Paul, he is not 1/100th of Ron Paul.

We go on and on about how Paul had the courage and knowledge not to vote for the Patriot Act, we always remind people about this. Other politicians have also said they regretted the vote, but the fact is, when it mattered Ron Paul voted against it.

 

[G-Wohl]

We go on and on about how Paul had the courage and knowledge not to vote for the Patriot Act, we always remind people about this. Other politicians have also said they regretted the vote, but the fact is, when it mattered Ron Paul voted against it.

100% agreed with this statement.

 

[hambone1982]

and he "regrets it"

somebody also told me that the-anti Act people wanted him to vote for it so they'd have some sort of inside man... i don't know much about that... and I don't know if it's true either



then you know that Barr is changed on drugs. in fact, Hannity was trying to insult him for "wanting to legalize heroin"... even though that wasnt exactly true

Anyone can change their tune in the run-up to an election.

I'm not sure that Barr is genuine in his change. Isn't that why we all love RP so much? He's never had to change.

I think the Libertarian party should do the same thing to him that the Constitution party did to Alan Keyes.

 

[constituent]

I see a lot of debate on Barr's drug war voting record. But is this one of the most important issues right now?

Yes, it is one of the most important issues right now.

 

[Kade]

please research what happened for him to vote for the Act

Do you research anything, you've criticized me before for the same kind of things from my written support in part of some other people... This is rather hypocritical, to ask someone something you yourself refuse to do...

We argued about Obama's support of reauthorization and you chided me for the same thing... even though I mentioned that several things had to occur before the Senator considered it, including restoring some of the lost civil liberties of the first one, that Barr did vote for... including voting against the wiretap provision.

This is a joke, why can't any of you be the consistent intelligent people that I think you might all be...

 

[NewFederalist]

I think the Libertarian party should do the same thing to him that the Constitution party did to Alan Keyes.

I believe they will.

 

[tonyr1988]

Anyone can change their tune in the run-up to an election.

I'm not sure that Barr is genuine in his change. Isn't that why we all love RP so much? He's never had to change.

I think the Libertarian party should do the same thing to him that the Constitution party did to Alan Keyes.

1) But what would Barr benefit from by changing his tune to become more Libertarian? If he wanted to do this for political reasons, wouldn't he become more Republican and jumped in to this race last year? It's not like he has a reasonable chance to win in November or anything. What can he benefit by faking his change to join the "losing team"?

2) Paul has changed his views before, especially when he was a younger Congressman. It took him a while to completely develop his stances/principles. Barr's probably in the same stage.