Liberty Maven

Civil Libertarianism – a strain of political thought that emphasizes the supremacy of individual rights and personal freedoms over and against any kind of authority.

Some ardent libertarian minded Ron Paul enthusiasts have chosen to not support Bob Barr in his effort to attain the Libertarian nomination for President. For the most part this seems to be about a lack of trust. Comparing every candidate to Ron Paul is like comparing an HDTV signal to a standard definition signal. No matter how much you fiddle about with the TV settings the picture will never look as rosy, crystal clear, and 3D-like as Ron Paul. I respect those purist Ron Paul supporters, but give Barr a break.

It is certainly true that Barr has a bit of a checkered past. Assuming he gets the Libertarian nomination (which is apparently not a foregone conclusion), he will be on the ballot. Ron Paul will not. On the issues in 2008 Bob Barr and Ron Paul are twins. Not many will argue that. The arguments are all about Barr’s congressional voting history and the fact that he once worked for the CIA. I can understand those that point to his voting history on such gems as the Patriot Act and the Iraq war authorization. Not supporting Barr solely because he once worked for the CIA befuddles me. That is merely reaching for an excuse.

Barr spoke about his Patriot Act vote in a recent interview with American Conservative magazine.

“I voted for the Patriot Act– but I certainly would not do it again. It was probably the worst vote I cast in Congress. At the time we had obtained assurances from the administration that they would limit the applicability of the Patriot Act provisions. They promised that they would engage in appropriate and full reporting and disclosure to the Congress, and we were able to secure sunset clauses for a number of provisions.

But it became clear very quickly that the administration did not intend to limit the use of the Patriot Act. So one of my primary activities over the last five years since leaving Congress has been trying to undo the damage wrought by the Patriot Act and preventing further abuses.”

So Barr didn’t have the ability to see the man behind the curtain as well as Ron Paul has over his lifetime in politics. Barr is now demonstrating that age old axiom: We learn from our mistakes. I accept that the 2008 Bob Barr is a true civil libertarian.

In the American Conservative Interview he also spoke about his vote authorizing the Iraq War.

“That vote was based– I will put it as charitably as possible– on faulty information. The legislation was presented and construed by a lot of us as more limited than it turned out to be.”

Once again, Barr is no soothsayer, but he has certainly grown into the Libertarian he is today.

Finally, for those that are “All Ron Paul”, just listen to Barr’s comments in the Pittsburgh Tribune.

Every single issue comes down to shrinking the size, the power, the scope and the cost of the federal government. I would — unlike either of the two major party candidates — immediately, upon taking office in January, shrink the size of the federal government, beginning with the executive office of the president to the greatest extent possible, even before going to the Congress.

I would send a message to the Congress that any bill that would be sent to me that would increase the size of the federal government would be vetoed.

I would immediately instruct the Department of Justice to once again respect the writ of habeas corpus and respect the rule of law.

Conservative; the way I define conservative, which is fundamental respect for the Constitution, the rule of law and the smallest government necessary.

Some have suggested Chuck Baldwin as an alternative to Ron Paul. I have concerns on Baldwin going the Mike Huckabee route and pushing for a Constitutional amendment or worse, some kind of executive order to ban abortion. The simple fact is that issues of abortion should be left up to the states, as Ron Paul has said time and time again.

Ron Paul supporters have always demanded the debate be on the issues. There exists a candidate for President who still has a chance of getting the nomination of his party. He could easily pass for a tried and true Ron Paul Republican. I urge my fellow Ron Paul supporters to investigate the issues of 2008.

The bottom line is Ron Paul is not going to get the Republican nomination. The next best thing is not Chuck Baldwin. The next best thing is Bob Barr. Please support Barr for the Libertarian Party nomination. He is the next great hope for liberty.

I hope to be drinking at the Barr on election day. I hope you join me.