Bob Barr: Busted, Broke, Begging

In other LP candidate flame-out news, it appears that Bob Barr, the party's presidential candidate, ain't exactly Ron Paul when it comes to raising funds, according to the Wall Street Journal:

In perhaps the most desperate sounding e-mail solicitation yet this election cycle, third party Libertarian candidate Bob Barr’s campaign manager sent out a plea today to supporters to raise $15,000 each day this week—or else.

Under the subject line, “Have I said or done something to offend you?” Russ Verney writes, “You see, I have to report that unless we receive and immediate cash infusion of $85,000, our progress will stop dead in its tracks. To be very blunt, I am presently faced with bills equaling our bank account balance, and I know there are many more expenses on the horizon.”

According to the latest report with the Federal Election Commission, Barr’s campaign had just $69,000 cash on hand at the end of June, and he raised just under $200,000 last month.

Bob Barr Is The Libertarian Party Nominee

The former Georgia Republican congressman has won the nod to be the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential candidate. It was close; Barr didn't get it until the sixth round of balloting. Quite a few in the party looked on him as an interloper and tilted towards more purist candidates. But he convinced enough of the party regulars that his conversion was sincere and scratched out a victory.

This is bad news for John McCain and the Republican Party. Barr has indicated he'll pitch himself to disaffected GOP voters. Reporters are already writing their "It's just like Nader in 2000" stories.

It also spells the end of the political ambitions of Mike Gravel, the former Alaskan senator and batshit insane 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful. After losing out there he switched parties and made a bid for the LP, thus becoming a two-time loser:

"I just ended my political career," he said. "From 15 years old to now, my political career is over, and it's no big deal. I'm a writer, I'm a lecturer, I'm going to push the issues of freedom and liberty. I'm going to push those issues until the day I die."

Gravel left the Democratic Party after he was excluded from some Democratic debates because he failed to meet fundraising or polling thresholds. He said the Democratic Party no longer represented his values because it continues to sustain Iraq war, the military-industrial complex and imperialism.

Bob Barr Interview

Over at NRO. Barr on the Republican Party:

NRO: What convinced you that it would be impossible to reform the Republican party from within?

BARR: The fact that the Republican party has evidenced absolutely no interest whatsoever in moving back toward concepts such as the rule of law and away from concepts such as the so-called unitary executive, which flies in the face of both common sense and constitutional history in terms of separation of powers — a Republican party that for several years while the party controlled both houses of Congress and the White House did not move in the direction of shrinking the size, the scope, or the cost of government and has moved significantly and consistently to increase federal spending.

Read the whole thing.

Barr-ing the Door to McCain?

Former Republican congressman Bob Barr announced yesterday that he is seeking the Libertarian Party nod. With Alan Keyes having lost his bid for the Constitution Party nod that means ace Kazakhstan reporter Borat scored an interview with only one man who'll be on the presidential ballot this fall. Barr, you'll remember, was the one punk'd into thinking he had just eaten cheese made from breast milk.

Actually it is not clear that Barr will be on the ballot either. At the press conference to announce he bid he reaffirmed his anti-abortion views, his anti-immigration views and soft-pedaled his opposition to the war in Iraq. He's for a troop withdrawal, but not an immediate one and would not create a timetable. In response to a question about military bases abroad he said he would "re-evaluate" the need for them but indicated some may be needed to defend American interests. And the former drug warrior hasn't changed on that too much either; he's still "personally opposed" but would allow states to hold referendums on things like medical marijuana.

So he's likely to face some opposition from hard core LP members when the party meets (later this month I think) to pick it's nominee.

Should he get the nod, Barr made pretty clear that he'll go after John McCain's base, votes the senator can ill-afford to lose. As the American Spectator reported:

"When asked what his problems were with McCain, he quipped, 'How long do we have here?'"