Amy Goodman Interviews Bob Barr, Libertarian Presidential Candidate

Democracy Now
September 4, 2008

Libertarian Presidential Candidate and Ex-Republican Rep. Bob Barr on Impeachment, Opening Up the Debates, and Why He Left the GOP

A decade ago, Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr was serving as a Republican congressman from Georgia and led the Republican drive to impeach President Bill Clinton. Since then he has become a vocal critic of the Republican Party, the war in Iraq and the erosion of civil liberties. Barr joins us in St. Paul.

AMY GOODMAN: In just over three weeks, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain will face off in their first debate at the University of Mississippi. None of the third-party candidates have been invited to participate. Silenced will be the voices of the Libertarian candidate Bob Barr, Independent Ralph Nader, Green Party’s Cynthia McKinney and others.

Tonight, Ralph Nader will be holding a rally in Minneapolis calling for the debates to be open. Bob Barr has also called for the debates to include more than just the Democratic and Republican candidates. A recent Zogby poll found 50 percent of voters nationwide want both Barr and Nader to participate in the debates.

Today, Bob Barr joins me here in St. Paul. A decade ago, Bob Barr was serving as a Republican Congress member from Georgia, led the Republican drive to impeach President Clinton. Since then, Bob Barr has become a vocal critic of the Republican Party, the war in Iraq, erosion of civil liberties. In 2006, he left the GOP to join the Libertarian Party. In May, he was elected as the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee.

To hear, see or read the interview transcript go to:

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/9/4/libertarian_presidential_candidate_ex_gop_rep