Bob Barr, former conservative Republican Congressman endorsed Senator Russ Feingold today!

[Better Believe It]

October 29, 2010

The former conservative/libertarian GOP Congressman from Georgia, Bob Barr, endorsed Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold today, illustrating that Barr actually appreciates and understands, rather than politically exploits, the notion of "limited government" (Barr: Feingold "is a man who understands the Constitution, who supports and fights sometimes against his own party to defend the Constitution"). Nothing is more absurd than watching Tea Party supporters march under the banner of the Constitution and limited government as they support candidates who will expand unrestrained and unchecked federal powers of surveillance, detention, and Endless War, while Democrats (like Tribe) who marched under a civil liberties banner during the Bush years now cheer for the Democratic politicians who have adopted those very policies. Kudos to Barr for being one of the few national figures to apply his principles consistently and without regard to blinding partisan tribalism.

Here's what Barr said on WTDY radio in Madison, Wisconsin:

"What I look for in Washington are folks in the Senate and the House who put the Constitution first. Not the "R" or the "D", not partisan politics but the Constitution. And what you have in Russ, and I have worked closely with him over a number of years to try to rein in the Patriot Act, to try to rein in the government surveillance and so forth — this is a man who understands the Constitution, who supports and fights sometimes against his own party to defend the Constitution in the Congress of the United States in ways that are much more consistent and much more proactive than a lot of Republicans."

Barr was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/10/29/tribe/index.html

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1010/Libertarians_unite.html

Unlke the "Tea Party" leaders, Barr actually believes in and supports the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. BBI

[wiggs]

1. that is excellent. Is it worth 4 points? nt

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Better Believe It.

[Donnachaidh]

3. Barr's a snake, for all his posturing

I wouldn't trust him on anything.

[Better Believe It]

5. Actually on this one issue, civil liberties, he's been very consistent since 9/11.

He didn't just recently come out in opposition to all of the attacks on our democratic rights and has changed his position on medical pot, gay marriage and several other social issues.

He's currently an advisor to the national ACLU on privacy matters.

He still maintains his conservative libertarian positions on economic issues which all of us would disagree with.

[HughMoran]

4. Creepy

[ThePhilosopher04]

6. As much as I despised Bob Barr...

during the Clinton years, I think one should give him some credit for being consistent and standing up to his former party when he thought they were wrong...I still think he was way over the top regarding Clinton, and I don't agree with where he stands on a lot of issues, but at least I've come to respect him.

[sally cat]

7. He's an idiot but in this case a useful one. If the race was even close, it might have helped.

[Faryn Balyncd]

8. right on

:kick: