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Bob Barr

Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr, Jr. (born November 5, 1948) is the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 election. He is a former federal prosecutor and a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003.

Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Barr joined the Libertarian Party in 2006, and until May 2008 served on its National Committee.

Early life

Barr was born on November 5, 1948, in Iowa City, Iowa to Bob and Beatrice Barr. His father, a West Point soldier, moved the family to various locations around the world while pursing his career in civil engineering. The second of six children, Bob Jr. spent his boyhood in Malaysia, Pakistan, Panama, and finally Tehran, Iran where he graduated from Community High School in 1966.

Barr returned to the United States, attending the University of Southern California and joining the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity in 1967 (where he holds the position of Grand Histor). Barr also joined the Young Democrats of America, and rallied against the Vietnam War. His parents disapproved, and threatened to cut off financial support if he continued his "flaming liberal" activities. During this time, Barr's mother introduced him to the work of Ayn Rand. This fostered a new-found appreciation for conservatism, and prompted Barr to join the Young Trojan Republican Club. Barr completed his B.A., cum laude, from University of Southern California in 1970. Barr married his first wife while still in college. They divorced in 1976.

Early career

Barr earned a master's degree in International Affairs from George Washington University in 1972, and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1977. From 1971 (1970?) to 1978, Barr was employed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Barr married his second wife, Gail, in 1976. They have two children together, both boys, born in 1980 and 1981. Gail and Bob Barr divorced in 1986.

After leaving the CIA, Barr moved to Georgia, where he practiced law and became active in the Republican Party. Barr made an unsuccessful bid for the Georgia House of Representatives in 1984. In 1986 Barr married his third wife, Jerilyn Dobbins, who was later known as Jeri Barr. Bob Barr's web site stated in 2008 that Jeri and he have four children and six grandchildren. It's unclear which, if any, of these children are issue from their marriage.

In 1986, Barr was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia—a post Barr held until 1990. Barr's office prosecuted state and local officials, members of the Medellin drug cartel, and got a perjury indictment on then-sitting Republican Congressman Pat Swindall, who ultimately served a year in prison on the charges. From 1990 to 1991, Barr was president of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, an Atlanta-based law firm and policy center that litigates in support of "limited government, individual economic freedom, and the free enterprise system".

Congressional career

Barr sought the Republican Party nomination for U.S. Senate in 1992, but lost the primary election to Paul Coverdell. The primary was very close, with Barr losing by fewer than 1,600 votes in a runoff election.

Barr was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 as a Republican, upsetting six-term Democrat Buddy Darden, to represent Georgia's 7th congressional district in the 104th United States Congress. Barr was one of 73 Republican freshmen ushered into Congress by that election. The election became known as the "Republican Revolution" because it resulted in the first Republican House majority in 40 years—since the 1955 adjournment of the 83rd Congress.

Barr was later reelected three times, serving from 1995 to 2003. While in Congress, Barr served as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Veteran's Affairs.

Georgia's congressional districts were reorganized by the Democratic-controlled Georgia legislature ahead of the 2002 elections for the 108th Congress. As part of the legislature's effort to get more Democrats elected from the state, Barr's district was dismantled even though Georgia gained two districts. He was drawn into the same district as fellow Republican John Linder. The new district was numerically Barr's district--the 7th--but contained most of the territory from Linder's old 11th District. This move profited Democrats by leading to the inevitable defeat of an incumbent Republican (i.e., either Barr or Linder). Recognizing Barr's precarious situation, the Libertarian Party seized on the opportunity to oust one of the federal drug war's most vocal proponents (Barr), and ran TV ads criticizing Barr's opposition to medical marijuana. Barr was soundly defeated by a 2-to-1 margin. The extent to which the issue of medical marijuana shaped the election is unclear. Some have argued that Barr's huge loss simply reflected the nature of the new 7th district, which was primarily redrawn from Linder's old 11th district. However, before the medical marijuana ads were aired, the Linder campaign acknowledged the race as being tight; and Pat Gartland, southeastern director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, saw the race as "too close to call".

Barr's defeat was applauded by many Democrats and Libertarians. Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project called it "glorious news". Ron Crickenberger, producer of the TV ads, was quick to warn other supporters of the War on Drugs:

However, some individuals within these groups lamented Barr's defeat as a setback for privacy rights, and libertarian causes in general. Libertarian J. Bradley Jansen opined: , Barr has not made any additional bids for a congressional seat.

Political positions in Congress

During his tenure, Barr was regarded as one of the most conservative members of Congress. In 2002, he was described as "the idol of the gun-toting, abortion-fighting, IRS-hating hard right wing of American politics". However, Barr's criticism of the Bush administration's policies on privacy and other civil liberties after the 9/11 attacks was unusual among House Republicans (see Criticism of Bush Administration below). This criticism earned Barr other labels such as "maverick", "Jekyll-and-Hyde", and "libertarian".

War on drugs

Barr was originally a strong supporter of the War on Drugs, reflecting his previous experience as an Anti-Drug Coordinator for the United States Department of Justice. While in Congress, he was a member of the Speaker's Task Force for a Drug-Free America. This task force was established in 1998 by then-Speaker Newt Gingrich to "design a World War II-style victory plan to save America's children from illegal drugs." The task force crafted legislation specifically designed to "win the War on Drugs by 2002". Barr advocated complete federal prohibition of medical marijuana. In 1998, He successfully blocked implementation of Initiative 59 — the "Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative of 1998" — which would have legalized medical marijuana in Washington, D.C. The "Barr Amendment" to the 1999 Omnibus spending bill not only blocked implementation of Initiative 59 but prohibited the vote tally from even being released. Nearly a year passed before a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union eventually revealed the initiative had received 69 percent of the vote. In response to the judge's ruling, Barr simply attached another "Barr Amendment" to the 2000 Omnibus spending bill that overturned Initiative 59 outright. The Barr Amendment also prohibited future laws that would "decrease the penalties for marijuana or other Schedule I drugs" in Washington, D.C. This preemptively blocked future attempts by Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) to reform marijuana laws in DC via the initiative process. In March 2002, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan struck down this portion of the Barr Amendment as being an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. Barr's response to the ruling was defiant:

The federal government later prevailed on appeal, reinstating the Barr Amendment just in time to thwart MPP's initiative 63 -- "The Medical Marijuana Initiative of 2002" -- which had already qualified for the November 2002 ballot. , the Barr Amendment remains in effect, and Initiative 63 remains in limbo -- technically ready to appear on the next DC election ballot when and if the Barr Amendment is ever repealed.

Barr would later reverse his position on medical marijuana, joining MPP as a lobbyist five years later. In a June 4, 2008 interview with Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report, Barr confirmed that he now supports ending marijuana prohibition, as well as the War on Drugs for which he once vehemently fought.

Same-sex marriage

Barr took a lead in legislative debate concerning same-sex marriage. He authored and sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act, a law enacted in 1996 which states that only marriages that are between a man and a woman can be federally recognized, and individual states may choose not to recognize a same-sex marriage performed in another state. At the 2008 Libertarian National Convention, he apologized for the part of the Defense of Marriage Act which prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.

He now opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment, contending it is a violation of states' rights.

Terrorism

He voted for the first Patriot Act, but only after his amendments adding "sunset clauses" were added to the final bill. Barr played a similar role during the debate over Bill Clinton's Comprehensive Anti-terrorism Act of 1995, crafting pro-civil liberties amendments to the original text. He now publicly regrets his Patriot Act vote.

War in Iraq

In 2002 Barr voted for the Iraq Resolution. He has since called for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, leaving no permanent military bases. A press release from Barr's presidential campaign stated: "The next president should commit to a speedy and complete withdrawal from Iraq, and tell the Iraqi people that the U.S. troops will be going home.

Religious freedom

In Congress, he also controversially proposed that the Pentagon ban the practice of Wicca in the military.

Economic freedom

Barr advocates the repeal of the 16th Amendment, which gives the U.S. Congress the power to levy an income tax without apportionment. As an alternative, he proposes a form of consumption tax, such as the FairTax.

He also favors drastic reductions in government spending and the elimination of corporate welfare.

Waco Hearings

Barr has been described as one of the few people able to "ask effective questions and make clear points" while questioning government witnesses during the 1995 House Waco siege hearings on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Federal Bureau of Investigation actions against the Branch Davidians in 1993, sponsored by subcomittees of the House Judiciary Committee and Government Reform and Oversight Committee. Barr has written: "The hearing, was a farce: a virtual lovefest, during which members of the Clinton Administration responded to softball questions from their colleagues in the House with superficial answers, and Republican queries were ignored or glossed over with disdain, if not outright contempt. Barr called for Congress to reopen investigations, but senior House Republicans refused. In 2003 testimony submitted to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Barr wrote: "[T]here remains time to turn back the constitutional clock and roll back excessive post-9/11 powers before we turn the corner into another Japanese internment or, closer to our own experiences, before we witness a legally sanctioned Ruby Ridge or Waco scenario.

Role in Clinton impeachment

Barr is best known for his role as one of the House managers during the Clinton impeachment trial. It was Barr who first introduced a resolution directing Judiciary Committee to inquire into impeachment proceedings—months before the Monica Lewinsky scandal came to light. Foremost among the concerns Barr cited at the time was apparent obstruction of Justice Department investigations into Clinton campaign fundraising from foreign sources, chiefly the People's Republic of China.

After the Lewinsky scandal came to light, Barr was the first lawmaker in either chamber to call for Clinton's resignation. During debate on the impeachment resolution on the House floor, Barr argued that Clinton's attempt to interfere with Lewinsky's testimony in the Paula Jones case endangered the Constitution. In doing so, Barr said, Clinton violated what Barr called a "fundamental right" of any American citizen--"the unshakable right each one of us has to walk into a courtroom and demand the righting of a wrong.

Controversies over Barr's personal conduct

In 1999, during Clinton's impeachment trial, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt offered money to anyone who could provide evidence that a prominent Republican had engaged in an extramarital affair. According to the American Journalism Review investigators for Flynt found that Barr was "guilty of king-size hypocrisy;" the outspoken abortion foe had acquiesced in his then-wife having an abortion in 1983. Investigators also found that Barr invoked a legal privilege during his 1985 divorce proceeding, so he could refuse to answer questions on whether he'd cheated on his second wife with the woman who is now his third.

In the early 1990s, Barr was photographed at a fundraising event licking whipped cream off of a woman. According to the Washington Post "Two people who observed the act say it wasn't exactly a bosom lick but more like a neckline lick, at the sort of event where business and civic leaders perform dares to raise money. 'Not exactly Mr. Effusive', says Matt Towery, the former chairman of Newt Gingrich's political organization, who observed the brief and awkward licking. 'You can hardly get the guy to smile'".

Criticism of Bush Administration

Since leaving Congress in 2003, Barr has become a vocal opponent of the Patriot Act and has stated that he regrets voting for it, claiming that the Bush Administration has used it to further erode due process of law even in matters unrelated to terrorism. He claims that the Clinton administration did much of the same thing. In 2005 —the year the Patriot Act was due for renewal — Barr helped found an organization called Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, a bipartisan group dedicated to eliminating aspects of the Patriot Act that could potentially affect law-abiding citizens rather than terrorists, and to "restore traditional checks and balances on government power so the country can effectively fight terror without sacrificing the rights of innocent Americans, rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution. Barr still serves as the group's chairman.

Barr has been a vocal opponent of President George W. Bush's claim of authorization to wiretap transnational phone calls without individual judicial license. He has said, "What's wrong with it is several-fold. One, it's bad policy for our government to be spying on American citizens through the National Security Agency. Secondly, it's bad to be spying on Americans without court oversight. And thirdly, it's bad to be spying on Americans apparently in violation of federal laws against doing it without court order."

In 2006, he debated the architect of the Patriot Act, Viet Dinh, on terrorism and privacy issues.

Departure from Republican Party

In the 2004 presidential election, Barr abandoned the Republican Party and publicly endorsed the Libertarian Party presidential nominee Michael Badnarik.

Political associations

Barr sat on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association from 2001 to 2007.

More recently, Barr has become a prominent member of the American Civil Liberties Union, sometimes doing paid consulting on privacy issues.

Barr is a commentator on political and social issues and is chairman of the American Conservative Union Foundation's '21st Century Center for Privacy and Freedom'.

In January 2006, to emphasize the bipartisan nature of the event, Barr planned on introducing Al Gore at a speech co-sponsored by the Liberty Coalition and the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy to address what they called the "NSA Spying Scandal", in which Gore compared warrantless wiretapping to the FBI's surveillance of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Libertarian Party

On December 12, 2006, Barr became a regional representative on the Libertarian National Committee, representing the Party's Southeast Region. Barr said: "I'm happy to announce that I am now a proud, card-carrying Libertarian who is committed to helping elect leaders who will strive for smaller government, lower taxes and abundant individual freedom."

Marijuana Policy Project

In Congress, Barr's strong stance against medical marijuana put him at odds with marijuana policy reformers such as the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Despite this historic antagonism, in March 2007, Barr reversed his stance on medical marijuana and began lobbying on behalf of MPP. This new partnership saw Barr working to repeal his very own "Barr Amendment" — the amendment that overturned a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative in Washington, D.C. and prohibits consideration of similar initiatives.

Barr has been careful to note that he isn't pro-drug, but rather against government intrusion. In interviews he has expressed the nuanced position of simultaneously opposing legalization, yet advocating the federalist ideals of State legislation and enforcement over Federal control.

Barr's reversal on drug policy surprised many, particularly MPP. His new-found appreciation for harm reduction was heartily welcomed:

American Freedom Agenda

Barr is one of the four founders of the American Freedom Agenda, which is described as "a coalition established to restore checks and balances and civil liberties protections under assault by the executive branch." The American Freedom Agenda has established a 10-point Freedom Pledge for presidential candidates to confirm their commitment to civil liberties. He is also a member of the Constitution Project's bipartisan Liberty and Security Committee.

Other activities

In early 2008, Barr became an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University and was scheduled to teach a course on privacy rights titled "Privacy and Public Policy in 21st Century Business and Society.

Barr appeared in the mock documentary Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. He met with "Borat" (portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen) in the United States Capitol where he was given cheese that Borat described as being made from his wife's breast milk.

Barr endorsed the Free State Project on July 22, 2008 saying, "I think it's tremendous!

Publications and commentary

Barr authored the 2004 book The Meaning of Is: The Squandered Impeachment and Wasted Legacy of William Jefferson Clinton (ISBN 978-0974537627).

He briefly wrote a regular column for Creative Loafing Atlanta, an alternative weekly newspaper serving the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area. In 2008, in his column "The Barr Code", he lambasted the new policy of Boston police of allowing warrantless search for firearms in teenagers' homes.

Barr hosted a political talk radio show on Radio America called Bob Barr's Laws of the Universe. He has stated that he plans to write a book with that title.

In August 2008, Barr criticized the United States' response to the conflict between Russia and Georgia as being too emotional and not based on legitimate American national security concerns. He wrote: "The most important American interest is defending America; and intervening on behalf of Georgia against Russia has nothing to do with defending America.

2008 presidential campaign

In early 2008, rumors circulated that Barr was considering a presidential run under the Libertarian Party banner. Activists began a Facebook group dedicated to drafting Barr into the nomination contest, and Barr later confirmed his interest. He launched a presidential exploratory committee and campaign website on April 5, and formally announced his candidacy for the Libertarian nomination on May 12. His announcement came a mere ten days before the start of the Libertarian Party Convention, where delegates select the presidential candidate.

Following his announcement, Rasmussen Reports had Barr polling at 6% nationwide against Barack Obama (42%), John McCain (38%), and Ralph Nader (4%). The study identified Barr as the Libertarian candidate, but most voters said they didn't know enough about him to have an opinion of him personally. Barr's support in the poll was a net drain on Republicans; he picked up 7% of the Republican vote, 5% of the Democratic vote, and 5% of the unaffiliated vote.

On May 25, 2008 Barr became the 2008 Libertarian presidential nominee after six rounds of voting at the 2008 Libertarian convention. He beat Mary Ruwart in the final round of voting, with 324 delegates to Ruwart's 276, with 26 none of the above votes. Barr had received the endorsement of Wayne Allyn Root, one of his rivals for the nomination, after Root was eliminated following the fifth round of balloting. Barr, in turn, endorsed Root for the party's vice presidential nomination, which he received.

On June 4, 2008, Barr invited the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, John McCain, and the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee, Barack Obama, to weekly presidential debates through an official press release.

Many opinion leaders are predicting that Barr could siphon off conservative votes that would otherwise go to McCain. John Linder, who defeated Barr for the Republican nomination in a 2002 congressional race, said that Barr could cause serious problems for McCain in some states. Barr has repeatedly rejected this assertion as scapegoating, responding that small-government Republicans would not vote for McCain anyway, nor would civil libertarians vote for Obama.

Barr is expected to be on the ballot in at least 47 states. In July, he filed a lawsuit against Oklahoma for its unusually restrictive ballot access laws, which he contends are contrary to the First Amendment right to petition one's government for a redress of grievances. In July, a Zogby poll had Barr receiving 6% of the vote nationwide, as well as double digits in several states.

A Zogby poll released on August 15, 2008 indicated that most Republican and Democratic voters want Barr to be included in the presidential debates. The poll also indicated that almost 70% of independent voters would like to see him included.

On September 17, 2008 Barr filed suit in Texas to remove both McCain and Obama from the ballot. Both political parties failed to file their nominees by the deadline. On September, 23, 2008 the Texas Supreme Court rejected the request without giving a reason for its decision.

Among his campaign positions, Barr has distinguished himself strongly from Obama and McCain by opposing the financial bailout bill.