Jay Bookman

By Chris

June 17, 2008 5:11 PM | Link to this

Wow — Think the AJC missed something when they reported Barr’s nomination? That was a fascinating story by the NR.

By dodsworth

June 17, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this

it is easy to dismiss. It is a lot harder to propose a constructive alternative. What is your better alternative for those of us who want antiwar candidate who is against the drug war and believe in civil liberties?

By dodsworth

June 17, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this

it is easy to dismiss. It is a lot harder to propose a constructive alternative. What is your better alternative for those of us who want antiwar candidate who is against the drug war and believes in civil liberties?

By Steve

June 17, 2008 5:29 PM | Link to this

I’ll take a disorganized Libertarian party over the organized major parties that represent nothing but fraud, lies and corruption, any day. The Dems and GOP will say anything to get elected and then revert to the same old routine after they win. And how stupid are we that we just keep falling for it, election cycle after election cycle? Just one example:

In ‘06, the Dems said they were going to get us out of Iraq. Americans vote them in and we’re still in Iraq a year and a half later, go figure. Congress controls the purse strings. They could -force- the President to stop, but they won’t. Why? Peace doesn’t make money for their friends at Halliburton, etc… They could care less about our kids dying over there for no good reason, as long as they get their campaign contributions.

I, for one, will be voting third party this year for the first time. I’m done voting for crooks, cheats and liars.

By George Whitfield

June 17, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this

I think what Libertarians are really into is voluntary participation and not coercion. I attended the Libertarian Convention in Denver, traveling from Seoul, Korea, to do so. It was well organized and we followed Robert’s Rules of Order carefully. There were disagreements but that is natural. I am happy to be supporting Bob Barr so that American can start following the Constitution and we can have peace, prosperity and liberty again.

By Lars

June 17, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this

“I, for one, will be voting third party this year for the first time. I’m done voting for crooks, cheats and liars.”

no more 2 party system. vote for Bob! http://www.BobBarrForums.com

By AFH

June 17, 2008 6:03 PM | Link to this

The truth of the matter is that libertarians are TOLERANT and for their honor, for their justice, for their truth and their unquestionable bravery, pundits such as Mr. Bookman cast dispersions upon them by reccomending hack jobs like that New Republic piece.

I imagine were this the 1840s he would be denigrating Abolitionists as “negro loving freaks” and describing the movement as filling its ranks with other undesirables like Jews and Catholics.

The DNC is going through a faux-revolution in leadership and gathering new constituency. The GOP has broken its conservative compact and is falling apart because of their refusal to allow new blood and their determination to purge all but one faction. This change is long overdue but as predictable as the institution of slavery collapsing in on it’s corrupt nature.

The Libertarian Party is rising out of those ashes, and this article and its references are a manifestation of the fear and loathing driving people from faith in the status quo in droves.

ALIVE FREE HAPPY - Libertarian

By GOPs got to go

June 17, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this

Yes, please everyone vote for Barr!!!

By Carol

June 17, 2008 6:40 PM | Link to this

While it is true that Bob Barr made some past votes as a congressman that made libertarians pale, he has since come around to our position. The “shiny side” of his record needs to be reported as well:

“In the 107th Congress when Ron Paul stood up for our sovereignty against the United Nations (Roll Call votes 245 and 246), it was Bob Barr who supported him … just as Barr supported Paul in cutting corporate welfare by limiting funding for the Export-Import Bank.”

“Barr is a co-sponsor of H. Res. 197, ‘Stop U.N. Gun Ban.’”

“Barr supports H.R. 2615 ‘Stop National Medical ID and the Patient Privacy Protection Act.’”

“Barr is a leading defender of civil liberties. He introduced legislation that forces the National Security Agency’s Project ECHELON to provide a full accounting to the Congress of their covert monitoring of millions of phone calls, faxes, and emails.” “He led the fight against National ID Card proposals and introduced legislation in 1998 to check the federal government’s abuse of wire-tapping laws — including the use of roving wiretaps — and also opposed governmental interception of cellular phone calls.”

“He introduced legislation to mandate that the federal government issue ‘Privacy Impact Statements’ every time it issues a new rule or regulation.”

“He was a chief sponsor of a law to limit abuses of the civil asset forfeiture statutes.”

“He fought against OSHA regulations and to limit small business vulnerability to frivolous labor litigation.”

“He is a board member of the National Rifle Association, and a staunch defender of the right of Americans to own and use firearms. He has introduced and sponsored legislation to block litigation against gun manufacturers for the acts of their customers and to limit any background checks and mandate they be conducted ‘instantly.’”

“Barr has succinctly advocated the principle that while criminals must be punished to the full extent of the law, their civil liberties must be protected with even more vigor.”

“He is a staunch defender of American sovereignty and opposes the executive branch’s overzealous use of our military abroad he even filed suit against President Clinton’s war in Kosovo without congressional approval.”

“He is a fierce critic of the United Nations — and to a lesser degree NATO — and has consistently supported efforts to withdraw U.S. membership from the United Nations.”

“He co-sponsored a committee amendment to withdraw the U.S. from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.”

“Since his first day in Congress back in 1995, Barr has tirelessly fought to eliminate the Internal Revenue Code, supported the “flat tax” proposal, and consistently supported passage of a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds supermajority of Congress to raise taxes.”

“He was an early supporter of lowering the capital gains tax and recently he introduced legislation to provide tax credits for educators: public, private, and home school.”

“More than any other member of the Georgia delegation, Congressman Barr has parted with the Republican majority to vote against bloated “pork barrel” spending.”

“He has continually fought the unconstitutional [McCain/Feingold] ‘campaign finance reforms.’ Defending our fundamental rights, he has filed a lawsuit to prevent implementation of the recently passed legislation.”

By Eric

June 17, 2008 6:56 PM | Link to this

Well, y’know Mr. Bookman, it probably does seem a helluva odd question. That is because journalists have abandoned asking the fundamental questions, and instead accept as a given that whatever the problem, the answer is government.

They swallow hook, line, and sinker the mantras of both major parties, so much so that they cannot even ask whether the subject in question is actually the proper role of government, or whether societal ills might not be managed more effectively, cheaply, and humanely by the private sector.

So yup, for journalists it is a helluva odd question, but yup, Bob Barr is attempting to answer it. Listen up!

By catlady

June 17, 2008 7:07 PM | Link to this

Bob Barr is scary.

By Jeff Thomas

June 17, 2008 7:59 PM | Link to this

I only see two choices on the ballot S.O.S. or the Libertarian party. Enough with downplaying the only candidate worth a look.

Vote Bob Barr in ‘08!!

[Barr Merchandise](http://www.cafepress/barr4prez0

By Grant

June 17, 2008 8:07 PM | Link to this

You are just another idiot who either lies or talks out of his/her a* in describing libertarians. They have no objection to rules. In fact, libertarians believe in the rule of law. You need to do some homework and pull your head out of your a*.

By Hillbilly Deluxe

June 17, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this

Mr. Bookman,

Would it be possible to perhaps print the bloggers name in a different color than the text? This way when someone has decided to write their own version of War And Peace, it would make it easier to skip on down to the next entry.

By Carol

June 17, 2008 10:59 PM | Link to this

Hillbilly,

Sorry about War and Peace there, but Bob Barr gets a consistently bad rap in some cirlces, and I seldom see it balanced out.

By Red Leader

June 18, 2008 7:04 AM | Link to this

Why don’t you try to read and understand something about the libertarian party before you actually start writing about it?

By Ayn R. Key

June 18, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

Barr also gets a bad rap because of the quesitons he won’t answer, Carol. I’ve consistenly asked him if his position on religious freedom has changed.

By RightyTighty

June 18, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this

I too see the irony of Libertarians having rules and regulations for organization.

Almost as funny as Democrats thinking they have a voice in their socialist nomination process. You know, the one that allowes for elite party members to selectively allot their delegates.

By James W. Harris

June 18, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

Jay, I’m disappointed. The most important issues of the past several years have been the wretched war in Iraq and the gutting of our civil liberties by the Bush administration. As a Libertarian I have enjoyed, and taken heart from, your courageous articles on both topics.

Surely you realize that Libertarians were among the strongest opponents to the war in Iraq and the war against our Bill of Rights.

Bob Barr has emerged as one of the strongest advocates of civil liberties and peace in American politics today. He has made a remarkable political journey and deserves our respect.

The New Republic piece was amusing but trivial, and an obvious hit piece.

Remember this, Jay: The New Republic strongly supported the butchery in Iraq. While you, and the Libertarian Party, and Bob Barr, were fighting it, The New Republic was beating the drums to drag us into that disaster.

I watched the Libertarian convention on CSPAN, and it is obvious that neither the Democrats or Republicans are remotely as pro-Bill of Rights and anti-war as the Libertarians.

On the most important issues of the past several years, the Libertarian Party has been right. The Democrats and Republicans failed us.

By Carol

June 18, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this

Righty Tighty:

I’m belwidered…? Why does it seem odd that an organization that was freely entered into, would have rules and regulations that were also freely agreed to…?

Unlike laws imposed by government, which always have a gun at the end of them should you not comply, the Libertarian Party is a voluntary organization. You don’t “have” to participate.

Having a structure that is freely agreed upon is win/win.

By Joey Panto

June 18, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this

Jay, Your apparant agreement with the NR’s piteous wishful eulogy of the Libertarian Party as an influential force is incongruous with your snarky caricature of libertarian values. If we are so whacked out, why do so many prominent politicians on both left and right identify their philosophy as libertarian?

The left cannot so easily rejoice in the fact that Barr will take votes from McCain, and ensure an Obama win. The lesson of ‘92 is that a Dem elected with a plurality against a split libertarian/conservative vote does NOT have a mandate, and must work with libertarian types in Congress to avoid an a*-kicking at the mid-term.

On the term in the NR title “Freedom Freaks”….let’s back up a step…aren’t “freaks” (extreme mutations which are less able to thrive in their society and the world) more likely to be de-selected from the species gene pool than those mutated within “normal” bounds? If so, than “freedom freaks” would seem to be a contradiction in terms …aren’t more independent members of the species more likely to survive? It seems that left-wing statists who tend to want to breast-feed off of the government’s big t** their entire lives, and right-wing moralists, who tend to want to impose their dogma by force on everyone, are less likely to survive in the long run. Talk about hilarity. The freedom lovers will have the last laugh.

By Copyleft

June 18, 2008 7:48 PM | Link to this

I strongly disagree with the Libertarian Party platform. I think their gaining electoral office would be disastrous for the country.

HOWEVER, I strongly support their right—as I do EVERY third party’s right—to exist, and I encourage people to vote for whichever party truly represents their positions. Third parties like the Libertarians, the Greens, the Reform Party, etc., all need to be included in the process and the debates—not “locked out” by unreasonable ballot-entry rules and other roadblocks erected by the two-party duopoly.

By Carol

June 18, 2008 9:30 PM | Link to this

Copyleft,

So, even though you do not approve of their platform, you support the LP’s right to exist….? Umm, how very libertarian of you. :-)

By Fred

June 18, 2008 9:53 PM | Link to this

But Libertarians aren’t much into the rules thing, and they see organization as a fascist concept.<

This has got to be one of the most uninformed statements I have ever read. Who is Jay Bookman that he can make such a statement with a straight face?

Libertarians believe that rules to limit the power of government are completely appropriate. They also believe that rules to protect our life and property from individuals or groups of individuals are quite appropriate. Simply because we think it is not okay for someone to use the law to steal from us or incarcerate us for our choice of activities or associations, does not mean we don’t believe in rules.

We also have no problem with organizations as long as they are based on the concept of freedom of association. Where the term fascism applies is when corporations are joined at the hip with government, providing the corporation with cover to have a monopoly or simply drain the pockets of the people into the corporate bank account.

We believe in freedom and free enterprise with the least government interference in peaceful transactions between the consumer and the provider of goods and services.

By Eric

June 19, 2008 12:21 AM | Link to this

I continue to support Bob Barr, as he is the only candidate to come out against Real ID, which is government intrusion at its worse. Whatever we as a nation are doing (or not doing?) in Iraq, we need to be as equally vigilant in fighting for our daily freedoms right on our own soil. Everyone should be voting for Mr. Barr!

By Copyleft

June 19, 2008 7:58 AM | Link to this

To clarify: I want nothing to do with the Libertarian Party, and I think their ideals are disastrous.

But I also think America needs more than two choices in our elections.

By AFH

June 19, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Copyleft,

To say something as blanketed as: “I think their ideals are disastrous” is something I often hear from people who have a limited or unfairly colored understanding of Libertarians.

Ideals are never disastrous, thoughts are not dangerous. Practical applications can be. Libertarian ideals are based on justice and tolerance. They are so basic, so simple, so reasonable that how they might be applied is well adaptable to situations. There is nothing disastrous in people having the freedom of self determination.

If you have an understanding like you have expressed, I encourage you to seek out pragmatic Libertarians, not to become one… but to get a better understanding. I suspect that if you have only had experiences with activists (that by their nature are driven by idealism) you could… and should… form an opinion that they were not very practical.

Libertarians are not just one thing. Bob Barr is proof of that. He is a very pragmatic person, dynamic, and sensitive to several sides of an issue and seeking equitable, and fair compromise. For the majority of libertarians that live in the real world, the libertarian “ideal” is a framework for finding the best solutions for serious problems, leaving the maximum amount of people as empowered over their own lives as is practical while protecting the natural rights of others.

I don’t expect that you might become a libertarian, but I do think it would be beneficial for you to understand that the movement has a lot more facets to it than you have yet had the pleasure to experience.

ALIVE FREE HAPPY - Libertarian