Barr on NPR

October 5, 2008

Bob spoke with NPR’s Weekend Edition yesterday mostly about the bailout, Iraq, civil liberties and healthcare:

Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president, first came to national attention as one of the House managers in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. The former Republican congressman from Georgia tells Scott Simon he is opposed to what he calls the “bailout from hell.”

Instead, Barr says, the government should be prosecuting fraud and looking for private entities to buy up troubled institutions.

He believes the U.S. has no business being in Iraq and would bring the troops home upon assuming office. In Afghanistan, Barr proposes to use the military “much more wisely” and isn’t convinced that a massive presence of troops is required.

Everyone should be able to get health care — if they want it, Barr says. Government should be spending its time “reducing and removing the onerous regulations that actually prevent people from being able to afford health care.”

Barr doesn’t see anything wrong with government agencies exchanging information or engaging in surveillance, as long as they stay within the Fourth Amendment and federal laws. What should never be condoned, Barr says, is a president who wields absolute authority to gather intelligence.

You can download the interview here. It’s just short of six minutes in length.

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Barr on NPR