GOP pressures Barr not to run

WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | 05/12/2008 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[Trinity5]

"I would like to see Gingrich, his fellow Georgian, rip him a new one.....rhetorically, that is. JK"

Won't happen. Newt's too busy doing commericals with Nancy Pelosi about Global Warming. If you wanna talk about screwing over the Conservatives...

[Redbob]

"...none has given him a convincing reason."

How about this one?

"President B. Hussein Obama?"

[Sonora]

I also noticed that about Newt - he seems to have gone to the middle - somewhere between a Republican and Democrat, a good guy to all. I liked him a lot better in the past.

[JamesP81]

Typical stupid Republicans. If they would just be conservatives and reach out to libertarians on a few issues, there wouldn't be a need for Barr.

I agree. Libertarians and social conservatives have a few bottom line issues that they can let each other have without a major compromise of either ideology. The GOP should adopt those positions as its platform.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

“…but for the sake of the Republican Party, they would prefer I didn’t…”

For the sake of the Republican Party? For the sake of what????

“But Republicans, both publicly and behind the scenes, are saying a Barr run could hurt him financially and sink Mr. McCain’s Republican candidacy in the general election…”

Good!!! I say “good” because this is how much a loathe McCain.

Next to McCain, Barr looks like a savior, and I say this as a conservative.

[JamesP81]

Yes, it’s unfortunate. I agree that libertarians and social conservatives need to join together and support each other’s bottom lines, if ever there is to be a conservative victory.

There will be no more conservative victories until this happens. The only thing that remains to be seen is how many electoral ass kickings the RNC has to suffer before it realizes it.

[Sprite518]

GRANTED... But at least the guy is a conservative compared to McCain.

[JamesP81]

But at least the guy is a conservative compared to McCain.

Frankly, that's not saying a lot, but I feel you.

[Swordfished]

The Libertarians will run a candidate regardless of what the GOP does. Barr will get the same % as all his predecessors.

I've voted Republican in past elections - no more. McCain will never get my vote. So instead of 2%, maybe Barr gets 4%...and the Constitution Party nominee gets 4% instead of 2%. I might have to write-in someone if even these parties can't come up with a decent candidate.

And I'd bet real money that very liberal Republicans are going to be voting Obama in '08.

What really is the point of being a Republican anymore? To continue Bush's liberal foreign policy? How ironic. Yeah, yeah, judges judges. Sorry, I don't care anymore. Temporarily staving off a mortal wound is pointless. I can hear you now, "It's just a flesh wound."

[penowa]

"This appears to be his attempt to blackmail the GOP to bring him back into the fold with a position on the money tit."

Reading the article, it sounds like the Republicans are threatening that his Libertarian run will hurt his law practice, while it sounds like what Barr wants to hear is an offer of a job more lucrative than his part-time consult for the ACLU.

[Ingtar]

She would have made it through with the other options also. All his Gang of 14 really accomplished was killing off many other nominations.

[Sooth2222]

Former Rep. Bob Barr says a number of Republicans have been trying to persuade him not to run for president on the Libertarian Party ticket, but none has given him a convincing reason.

The fact that he's not a libertarian isn't a convincing reason?

[Trinity5]

"I've voted Republican in past elections - no more. McCain will never get my vote. So instead of 2%, maybe Barr gets 4%...and the Constitution Party nominee gets 4% instead of 2%. I might have to write-in someone if even these parties can't come up with a decent candidate."

Same here. I've always voted for the Republican nominee since my first vote cast in 92; even Dole! - This year I'm voting 3rd party. We haven't had a conservative nominee since Reagan. and I doubt we ever will. I'm tired of my only reason to vote for the Republican candidate is that he isn't as bad as the Democrat. If my dog takes a crap on the carpet it's still crap regardless of the size of the dumpage.

I've always thrown a few votes towards the Constitution Party every election. This year Chuck Baldwin has my vote because he isn't as bad as John McCain.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Barr wants to be 2008’s version of the 2000 Ralph Nader.

I hope he doesn’t succeed, or else we’ll be watching a parade with Barack Hussein Obama at the head of the Executive branch of the Federal Government.

[Swordfished]

Same here. I've always voted for the Republican nominee since my first vote cast in 92; even Dole! - This year I'm voting 3rd party. We haven't had a conservative nominee since Reagan. and I doubt we ever will. I'm tired of my only reason to vote for the Republican candidate is that he isn't as bad as the Democrat. If my dog takes a crap on the carpet it's still crap regardless of the size of the dumpage.

I've always thrown a few votes towards the Constitution Party every election. This year Chuck Baldwin has my vote because he isn't as bad as John McCain.

I think McCain believes he can win without conservatives...so why should they vote for him? I can see Obama's first campaign commercial: "John McCain finally believes in global warming - he's a real 'Johnny-come-lately'."

[lilylangtree]

Barr’s gotta be better than the 3 that’s running. Unless he has some serious defects equal to the other 3, I’m voting Libertarian in November. I did in ‘96 and guess I’ll be doing it again.

[Packeryman]

The Bob Barr entry will certainly mean defeat for McCain. This will be the end of the man who co-authored McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, McCain-Liberman. The guy would probably be in jail for participation in THE KEATING FIVE but he had been a prisoner of war and considered a hero. He appeared with a democrat to talk of global warming, met with a crowd of Latinos and stated he had rethought the immigration bill and knew we needed a comprehensive bill(amnesty). He has flipflop on the issue since stating he would secure the border first. That appears only to have been stated to suck in conservatives. That commitment to conservatives has ended, looks as though he has returned to his thinking on McCain-Kennedy bill. His one hundred year stance on the continuation Of OUR OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will bankrupt this nation. A Barr presidency would be no continuation of the failed Bush policies. Go Bob Barr

[bootless]

His one hundred year stance on the continuation Of OUR OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will bankrupt this nation. A Barr presidency would be no continuation of the failed Bush policies. Go Bob Barr.

You joined today for that?

Ever read any Michael Yon, or don't they allow his name over on MoveOn?

[dforest]

I have a feeling the Dems are going to win. McCain is exciting as watching the grass grow.

Boy ...if that ain't the truth.

Juan is a terrible speaker, worse than Bush. He just doesn't have any charisma. Not to mention he is a liberal.

[Doomonyou]

But my absolute top priority in this election is to see Obama and Hillary defeated, and you can’t do it.

McCain is no better, and I'm not voting for him.