Remember Bob Barr? He Wants to Be President Too!
Wednesday May 14, 2008
As if we don't have enough people throwing their hats into the presidential ring, now Bob Barr wants to join in the fun. If his name rings a bit of a bell with you, it's no surprise. Back in 1998, Bob (then a congressman from Georgia) wrote a pres release attacking the freedom of religion at Fort Hood's Open Circle and other military bases. He stated that he was concerned that the United States military was supporting a religion that he didn't feel should be allowed within the armed forces.
Later, Barr got his paws on a defense authorization bill and tried to include an amendment within it that would prohibit the practice of Wicca at Defense Department facilities. While the amendment was rejected because it had nothing to do with the original bill, Barr promised, at the time, to try again.
Now he's joined up with the Libertarian Party, and hopes that "voters will be drawn to his plans to slash government spending, withdraw from Iraq and halt immigration." Yeah, maybe that'll do it. I'm sure lots of people are willing to overlook religious freedom in exchange for a few budget cuts.
Later, Barr got his paws on a defense authorization bill and tried to include an amendment within it that would prohibit the practice of Wicca at Defense Department facilities. While the amendment was rejected because it had nothing to do with the original bill, Barr promised, at the time, to try again.
Now he's joined up with the Libertarian Party, and hopes that "voters will be drawn to his plans to slash government spending, withdraw from Iraq and halt immigration." Yeah, maybe that'll do it. I'm sure lots of people are willing to overlook religious freedom in exchange for a few budget cuts.
Comments
You said: Yeah, maybe that’ll do it. I’m sure lots of people are willing to overlook religious freedom in exchange for a few budget cuts.
I say: Republicans do that all the time, but we’re talking about Libertarians.
Yes, I heard that last month on the radio, and even dedicated a post to the absurdity of Barr as a Libertarian! The latest I have heard is he still refuses to even address the issue of his behavior to Wiccans in the military, and have found no mention that he has ever offered an apology for his anti-religious freedom efforts in 1999.
A Libertarian? I am shocked they haven’t tossed him out of their party on his ear yet!
Apparently Mr. Barr fails to understand the basic concept of Libertarian thought: personal freedom and responsibility. That includes freedom to worship as protected by the First Amendment.
I suppose the irony here is that being elected as a Libertarian is harder than being elected from the two major parties.
My first thought as well was that squashing religious freedom does not fit with Libertarian concepts. How bizarre.
Oh, and I’m no Libertarian, not by a long shot. I wonder how the party feels about his intentions. {confused}
I’m a Druid and I’ve been in the military now for 28 years. Did the Libertarians change their way of thinking or are they that hard up for a canidate. Does anyone have a email address for Mr. Barr so that I can send him a little note reminding him that Pagans don’t forget?
What in the world has gotten into the Libertarians? I never would have thought that they would get involved with a candidate like Barr. How can they consider having a man like that run for their party?
Pagans, have long memeories. We also vote, so just laugh at the absurdity ofthis “man” running for office. Yes, I do believe the Libertarian Party has taken a leave of thier senses, since they back him.
Endorse freedom of religion or not, we will practice our craft anyway. The best time about this is, we grow in numbers & lift voices together. So a loud & clear ring of laughter at this “man” & his shrt-sightedness.
I am disgusted at the “Libertarian” Party for having nominated this fanatic for president, as are most libertarians. What happened to the LP was that they failed to enforce the membership pledge (all LP members must pledge that they oppose the initiation of force as a means to achieve political or social goals; the definition of libertarianism is “a philosophy that is opposed to the initiation of force”), some within the party sold out (the “Reform” Caucus), and Barr bought alot of delegates (he paid his Republican friends to support him and bused them to Denver for the Convention). It also didn’t help Mary Ruwart’s attempt to defend the LP from this Neo-Con takeover attempt that Wayne Allyn Root endorsed Barr and basically hande him the nomination. Nor did it help that Mary’s campaign staff forgot to tell her about a meeting with Mike Gravel and George Phillies to discuss “strategy.” She missed the meeting and both of them refused to endorse anybody.
The LP was fortunate that they took Memorial Day (a fitting name for the day after the LP died) off because they got to keep alot of members for at least one day longer. The LP is currently facing an exodus as all of the true libertarians are tired of fighting a losing battle against unprincipled statists like Barr-Root and the rest of the “Reform” Caucus.
Im shocked, yes SHOCKED by the Libertarian party’s nomination of this man. I’ve against Bush 4 times now (I’m a native Texan) but after everything this man has done AGAINST religious freedom of soildiers I’d have to say that if it was just Bush against Barr, Bush would have my vote for a 3rd term..Not that I’m a member of this party or anything but Barr seems to be the very antithesis of this party’s core values. Ive voted Libertarian on a few local tickets, where there was only a republican on the ballot with the libertarian–that’s not going to happen this year. This year I might actually vote republican just by default..
I’m a long term Libertarian, or was. I received a request for donations today from Bill Redpath, Chair for the Libertarian party. He’s getting a three page letter why I cannot support Bob Barr for president. I’m from GA. I was in Barr’s district, that’s why I became Libertarian. I cried when I had heard what the Libertarians had done!
From all the comments I can see, it’s pretty obvious why the LP has never won anything important.
I don’t even feel people in the libertarian movement are libertarians anymore, now all I can see are anarchists leaving their Black Bloc groups and taking head charge as the faces and voices of the LP (much like what the NeoCons did to the Republicans… ironic huh?).