Obama, Clinton, McCain and Barr? The Libertarian Presidential Candidate

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The libertarian party is a little talked of party in the United States. Small and rather grassroots it barely receives mention from the Mainstream Media. However, with all the strife in the news over Presidential candidates it seems one important fact has been overlooked; You do not have to choose Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or even John McCain. There are other choices and one of those is Former Rep. Bob Barr. The Libertarian party selected Rep. Barr as the party's Presidential nominee over Mary Ruwarts 54 per cent to 46 per cent.

Barr was a former member of the GOP and became notable during the Bill Clinton Impeachment trials. Rep. Barr's campaign began mid-May 2008 and after a short run was victorious in grasping the Libertarian nomination. His stances on the issues have changed as well as his party Affiliation. He shares initial stances of small government with the Libertarian Party as well as the end of federal income tax, abolishment of the IRS and a strong support of the second amendment. He has been a strong opponent of legalized abortion which did not fall in line with the Libertarian platform which favors no restriction of reproductive rights. He was also an opponent of the legalization of medical Marijuana but has since changed his stance to follow the Libertarian platform which seeks to repeal "laws establishing criminal or civil penalties for the use of drugs."

Rep. Bob Barr has been hailed one of the strongest libertarian candidates in the 37 year history of the Libertarian party, and it is hoped he will spread the Libertarian message past the 28 states that allow the party's delegates on their primary ballots. Another notable Libertarian who is currently seeking the Republican nod is Rep. Ron Paul.

On his campaign website, Bob Barr explains the issues of his platform with the straight forward tone that is common among Libertarian leaders.

Government Spending

* Repeal the 16th Amendment to no longer authorize Congress to levy taxes.
* Cut over all government spending, not just wasteful earmarks.
* Get rid of entitlement programs, especially those that aid the wealthy and corporations
* Replace income tax with a national sales tax.

Individual Liberties and the Constitution

* Battle the Nanny state by restoring individual liberties
* Insuring the Constitution is followed as originally intended
* Secure the 4th Amendment for everyone
* Emphasize personal responsibility for all decisions good or bad

The United States was created for the purpose of securing the liberties of its people. The colonists fled oppressive old world governments. The nation’s founders drafted the Constitution to sharply limit the federal government’s powers. The horrors perpetrated by the many collectivist tyrannies of the 20th Century demonstrate that the danger of government, any government, violating individual liberty is greater today than when America was founded.

Secure Borders

* Aggressively secure the borders
* Confront pandering politicians who allow illegal immigrants to abuse American Tax Dollars

"Our borders are currently neither open, closed, nor secure. This situation restricts the labor pool, encouraging employers to hire undocumented workers, while leaving those workers neither subject to nor protected by the law. A completely open border allows foreign criminals, carriers of communicable diseases, terrorists and other potential threats to enter the country unchecked. Pandering politicians guarantee access to public services for undocumented aliens, to the detriment of those who would enter to work productively, and increasing the burden on taxpayers."

National Defense

* Once again become the Sleeping Giant that will attack only when attacked
* Do not strike with speculative intelligence

The proper use of force is clear. If attacked, the aggressor will experience firsthand the skillful wrath of the American fighting man. However, invading or initiating force against another nation based upon perceived threats and speculative intelligence is simply un-American. We are better than the policy of pre-emptive warfare.

For information on the Libertarian Party go to the Party website available here.