"Bob Barr Deserves Your Vote" would be a better title for this article. It's "interesting" that the author of this well-written article supports Obama. Sound like he should be supporting Barr, as should many supporters of Obama and McCain who are concerned with our civil liberties.

The real danger in the Barr/Root campaign is not to the Republicans, but to the Democrats, and the reason is the "blue" Democrats -- the Blue Dogs and the Blue Collars. Current polling (Wall Street Journal) shows 12% of Democrats cannot stomach Obama, and these are primarily the Blues. They likely will not switch to McCain, but in what will be a contentious election, they won't sit it out either. Come time for the debates, they will be open to the small-government pitch of the Libs. The 8% of Republicans who can't stomach McCain may do the same. That's a 4% spread, and enough to influence an election. But it gets worse for the Democrats. Few Republicans can take the pure-freedom policies of the Libertarians (borders, abortions, drugs, gays, etc) and will not switch. However, these are hot-button issues for Democrats, and ones on which Obama will equivocate as he tries to appeal to the political center. Singe-issue Democrats will defect where as single-issue Republicans won't. Pair this draining of votes with the Nader factor, and it all starts piling up against Obama. And it gets worse. For all his charisma, Obama breaks when discussing the details of policy in a confrontational mode. He will wither during the debates when pitted against well-honed warriors like Barr, McCain and Nader. Obama will finish the job the Libs have started. Enjoy your moment my Democrat friends ... it will be short lived.

Well, I see Kevin The Pimp hasn't replaced the nitwit yet, so I'll comment on this week's toadsuck. Rooting for the Libertarians is a lot like cheering for the Cubs in early May. It's a nice warm fuzzy idea, but it ain't ever gonna happen. The LP has been legalizing pot since Nixon was in office, but don't like up on the Circle yet. Remember, Gang, there are no Republicans in the race this time around. Meanwhile isn't it obvious who McCain should invite to be his VP? Barack Obama! A McCain-Obama ticket would win 45 states, minimum. McCain is a Democrat anyway, and Obama's positions become more like McCain's with every passing hour. Hillary would then get the Dem nomination and all of her supporters would be thrilled. Everybody wins. The only potential snag is that Obama clearly lacks the experience and qualifications to be vice-president. He is less qualified than Dan Quayle. But I think this can all be glossed over, don't you?

Hey Zak, You and Steve Hammer deserve each other.

It would be great if other journalists would stop covering elections like sporting events (who is winning and who is losing in the polls) and instead presented the ideas of the candidates so voters could decide who is best to lead the conutry. I see no notable difference between McCain & Obama. They both think they should be the ones to use our money to expand govt. I've said it before, but here it is again, voters should stick to the candidate closest to their principles. LP again for me!

A Declaration of Withdrawal from the Republican Party My reasons for leaving the Party that I’ve felt at home in since I became politically aware are numerous. I will start with quoting countless conservatives who feel as I do - I didn’t so much leave the Republican Party, it was the Party that left me. The elected Republican officials failed to implement a conservative agenda, despite having the Presidency and both houses of congress. No Child Left Behind, Prescription Drug Entitlements; they even tried to force Amnesty for illegal aliens upon us. They have given us a government that would make even LBJ blush. Our businesses and land have more regulatory red tape to deal with than ever. Where is the Republican Party that stood for limited government, personal responsibility, a strong national defense, and against being the world’s policeman? As recently as the 90’s Republicans railed against a foreign policy of “making the world safe for democracy”, (which is historically the Democrats foreign policy, ala Woodrow Wilson) when Bill Clinton was President and he took us to war in Bosnia and Kosovo, without U.N. approval I might add. Which reminds me, the United Nations is something the GOP used to believe we needed to get out of, not an institution to be defended when a rogue nation violates U.N. resolutions. I am also reminded of former Senator Robert Taft, who was known in his day as Mr. Republican, when he said “I do not believe any policy which has behind it the threat of military force is justified as part of the basic foreign policy of the United States except to defend the liberty of our own people” and my favorite President - Thomas Jefferson, who said “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, and entangling alliances with none.” From its inception, the Republican Party advocated a humble foreign policy in line with our founding fathers recommendations, now, with John McCain as the leader and voice of the GOP, we are told to get behind his idea for a “League of Democracies” which sounds terrifyingly similar to Wilson and his Progressive Democrats “League of Nations” almost 100 years ago. We are also being told by McCain that we will have to Cap and Trade our liberty and our pursuit of happiness in the fight against global warming, essentially that if we don’t give government more money and power, utopia will never be reached. Some have told me that I should support him because he will appoint conservative judges, but I ask these questions - 1. Who’s definition of conservative are we talking about? And 2. Why would I trust the man on this issue when he is one of the “Gang of 14” who was blocking President Bush’s conservative lower federal court and Circuit Courts of Appeal judicial nominees? His long-standing, but little-noticed association with left-wing donors such as George Soros and Teresa Heinz Kerry is receiving new attention among his Republican critics and definitely troubles me. I would also remind you of his historical propensity to appease those even more liberal than himself. His version of “reaching across the aisle” looks more like a group hug when he crafts legislation like the McCain / Kennedy and McCain / Feingold bills. McCain / Feingold happens to be the reason McCain should not get the NRA’s endorsement, the NRA spent years fighting this trampling of our 1st amendment rights. McCain has not been the solid 2nd amendment supporter he would like you to believe he is - he cosponsored legislation which could require registration of attendees at gun shows and even ban such shows. Add to this the barely passing “C” grade from the NRA in his last senate run in 04‘, the “F” grade the Gun Owners of America gives him today and reflect on the work he did in 2000 with Americans for Gun Safety, an anti-gun group with a deceiving name, and you get a very different picture than the one he wants us to see. The differences between McCain and Obama are minimal, when you consider that both believe big government can save you from yourself, and that we can save other nations from themselves as well. Given McCain’s track record of conciliatory dealings with Democrats, I fear what this man would do with a Democratic House and Senate. I will not play along with the game of lesser of two evils, as I believe that is part of what has plunged this nation into the mess we find ourselves today. Once upon a time the Republican Party stood against special interests, corruption and abuse of power. Today their candidates campaign is “ of the lobbyist, by the lobbyist, for the lobbyist.” A man who admits Washington’s corruption has tainted him. Google Keating 5 and read all about it. The Republican Party today would be unrecognizable to my favorite Republicans of yesterday, such as Barry Goldwater, who said “ A government that is big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take it all away.” President Eisenhower, who warned us of the Military Industrial Complex, and one whose party membership is a surprise to many today but shouldn’t be, Martin Luther King Jr. “ Violence is a poor chisel for carving out peaceful tomorrows.” The party is just as unrecognizable to myself and others of my generation. I had to draw a line in the sand, and the Republican Party wasted no time in crossing it, when they and the President pushed for “economic stimulus checks.” The only problem is this, the money isn’t money that we have, its money we are borrowing, and our excessive borrowing becomes a tax on future generations, as we wont be paying it off any time soon. Want to try to sell this as economically conservative? Excessive borrowing and spending has the added affect of devaluing our currency, so it acts as a hidden tax on us today. As I heard one of the presidential candidates say in regards to these stimulus checks, “ Whose economy are we stimulating here? Ours or Chinas? We are borrowing more money from China so everyone can go buy more stuff made in China.” I get it, others in the GOP get it, so why doesn’t the party leadership? I can’t take anymore disrespect for conservative values, and unless the Republican Party wakes up and gets it’s head on straight real soon, I will be taking my vote, my time, energy, money, and passion from the GOP and taking it to the Libertarian Party to send a message to the Republican leadership that I will not be taken for granted. I believe that it is solid conservatism that wins the day and elections - limited government, individual responsibility, and a strong national DEFENSE (secure the borders!), not conciliation and surrender to Democrats to the point that our differences become blurry. The Libertarian Party seems to be a perfect temporary home, the GOP has its work cut out if its sincere about winning me back, even President Reagan said “Libertarianism is the very heart and soul of conservatism.” I will be doing everything I can to sway like minded conservatives to join me in this exodus and vote for Bob Barr for President and Wayne Root for Vice President on the Libertarian ticket. Both of them were recently Republicans, and are among those countless conservatives I‘ve heard myself say “ It wasn’t that I left the Republican Party, it was the Party that left me.” Thanks and God Bless, from Zak Carter