Good to Know Someone Still Puts Civil Liberties First
Former Republican congressman, subsequent convert to libertarianism, controversial 2008 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate, and proud Tea Partier, Bob Barr endorses Sen. Russ Feingold, one of the most liberal members of the Senate but also an uncompromising advocate of civil liberties. Good for Barr for continuing to remember that there’s a lot more to liberty and limited government than taxes and spending. He’s still just another “glibertarian” though, right?
He’s yet another politician who, when in power, talks about ruling other people and, when out of power, talks about limiting government.
He’s a barely better-looking Henry Waxman.
Ptooey.Report
@Jaybird, I don’t want to get into the details, but since he’s been out of power and had his post-Congressional career conversion, the dude’s done a lot of concrete, politically risky things to work for limited government that go well beyond just simply uttering the right words. Those concrete acts, combined with his continuing refusal to toe the conservative party line at a time when it would be extraordinarily easy to do so, tell me that he actually means what he says these days.Report
@Mark Thompson, at best, he reminds me of Ted Haggard.
I am pleased that he has found Jesus. His soul is, I’m sure, better for it.
Zaccheaus he ain’t.Report
@Jaybird, Meh – dude didn’t pretend to be a libertarian before he went to Congress or before he had his road to Damascus moment. Anywho, the main point here is that he’s a self-described libertarian Tea Partier who doesn’t seem to be buying into the notion that the GOP has recognized the error of its ways and, more importantly, still recognizes that civil libertarians in Congress are a rare, valuable commodity who aren’t worth abandoning because they pay insufficient lip service to spending cuts.
The few Democrats who are actually good where they’re supposed to be good ought to be supported over a Republican who claims, without any real basis, that he will be good where Republicans are supposed to be good (and who will indeed be bad where Republicans are supposed to be bad).Report
@Mark Thompson, Saul didn’t lose his job in a series of wacky situations that eventually resulted with him on the Road to Damascus.
Barr’s doing good things now, sure.
Cui bono?Report
I believe the term “glibertarian” should be reserved for Megan McArdle, Glenn Reynolds and their ilk – people who just self-identify as “Libertarian” to signal “I like money, but I don’t hate black people”, because Rockefeller Republicans sounds old fashioned.Report