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According to the Dallas News, Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate for President (who is from Georgia), is working hard to keep both Barrack Obama and John McCain off of the ballot in the Great State of Texas.
Mr. Barr personally filed an emergency request before the court on Thursday, asking that the state be ordered not to mail ballots overseas this weekend until the issue is legally resolved.
The article goes on to say that in Texas a candidate must be on the ballot by August 26th. Obama was not voted in as the candidate for the Democratic Party until the 27th and McCain did not become the Republican candidate until September 3rd. Furthermore, Sarah Palin was not on the Republican ticket until August 29th, thus - according to Texas law - making her ineligible to be on the ballot as well.
I actually hope that Barr succeeds in getting the Texas Supreme Court to see things his way. It would be a shock to the systems of both of the parties in power and would, I think, cause at least a brief media sensation which would get attention for a third party, in this case the Libertarian Party, out to the people.
Having said all that, I’m not sure if I’m supporting Barr or not. I voted on a friend’s poll earlier that I would, but the only choices were McBama or Barr, so I went with Barr. I have a couple of issues with my fellow Georgian, the most important being that he voted for the Patriot Act (though he has since openly regretted doing so). My other issue is his supporting a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer in May of 1997. So far as I know he has not backed down from that. Now, I have no problem with prayer being allowed in schools, but I don’t think the Feds should get involved. It’s a States’ Rights issue.
As for the issues I find important, here is Barr’s thoughts:
Foreign Intervention & Foreign Bases
America should not be the world’s policeman. The American purpose is to provide a strong national defense, not to engage in nation building or to launch foreign crusades, no matter how seemingly well-intentioned.
It is time to reemphasize the word “defense” in national defense. By maintaining a military presence in more than 130 nations around the world in more than 700 installations, with hundreds of thousands of troops deployed overseas, the U.S. spends more to protect the soil of other nations than our own. Bringing these soldiers home would better protect America while saving lives and money. The U.S. requires a military strong enough to defend this nation, not to support and defend much of the rest of the world.
Iraq War
The invasion and occupation of Iraq were two separate mistakes, which collectively have cost thousands of American lives and hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars. Every day that the occupation in Iraq continues without a withdrawal plan is a day that more American blood and treasure (some $400 million a day) is needlessly wasted.
Unlike Republicans, who are calling for essentially permanent bases in Iraq, and Democrats, who have done nothing to counter Republican calls for an indefinite occupation, I would put in place plans for withdrawal without undue delay. While I support an exit from Iraq as quickly as possible, I would not publicly announce a timetable to our adversaries. However, as President, I would begin to immediately and significantly begin to reduce both the military and the economic security blanket we are providing the government.
Privacy & Surveillance
Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the government has asked or forced Americans to sacrifice their privacy rights in exchange for the promise of more security. In the face of relentless scare-mongering by the Bush Administration, the public — and most members of the Congress — has generally complied.
As a result, people can no longer reasonably assume their privacy or other civil liberties are secure from the government. The executive branch has illegally surveilled millions of telephone calls and e-mails. Neither emails nor even the records of library books that are checked out are now safe from the government’s prying eyes. These federal powers have been used all too often in creating a giant database of names and information on law-abiding American citizens — not the terrorists the Bush administration said it intended to track down.
Spending & the Economy
Over the past decade, total government spending (state, local and federal) has increased from $2.9 trillion to an astonishing $5.1 trillion in 2008. The $3.1 trillion federal budget submitted by President Bush for 2009 is greater than the combined 1998 spending of the federal government, all 50 states and over 87,000 local governments.
The government cannot continue spending at this rate if America is to remain competitive in the global marketplace. The new administration’s number one job will be to drastically reduce spending by limiting federal outlays to only the government’s legitimate functions, as provided in the United States Constitution.
Monetary PolicyCheck out the links and read more on Bob Barr’s thoughts on the issues.
The Federal Reserve is a secretive and unaccountable organization which dominates monetary policy, regulates financial institutions, and increasingly intervenes in economic markets. Congress must insist on accountability and transparency in the Federal Reserve’s operation, while reconsidering the Fed’s almost total control over the money supply. We should begin a debate over more far-reaching policy changes, including eliminating the federal government's control over the money supply, thereby leaving monetary policy under the control of the market rather than of politics.
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