Bob Barr's asking that ridiculous bailout money question again

Bob Barr is such a silly fellow.

You may remember he's the former conservative Republican congressman from Georgia who turned up as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate this year, trying to disprove the theory about facial hair barring men from important federal office. Bob got not that many votes last month.

Now, here's how silly Bob is being: With all the concerns about the recession and job losses and Wall Street-automotive bailouts and housing crisis and Main Street, wherever that is, Bob -- you won't believe this -- wants to know where all this money is coming from.

Can you believe, as the president-elect's team announces fresh old Clinton faces every day and on the monthly eve of an historic presidential inauguration that's got people all excited about pomp and pageantry, this conservative wants to talk about silly things like how we're going to come up with another $1,000,000,000,000 or more?

Ridiculous! Who asks where the money is coming from at a happy time like this? It'll just be there somehow. Isn't that the way it works? Spend it, then worry later. If you have to. You're in the urgent, immediate moment now and debt concerns can wait.

The usual answer is we'll find the money by cutting wasteful spending, like subsidies for bee farmers or something.

Here's what Bob said in a recent e-mail: "For instance the Bush-Obama-McCain Bailouts (BOMB) are an example where a rush to spend our tax dollars was poorly thought out and even more poorly implemented. Where they will stop no one knows.

"As the auto industry stands in line with their hands out for your hard-earned tax dollars and the states and cities start lining up for federal help to continue their irresponsible spending, the end is nowhere in sight."

Bob said something else kinda scary. He said he hears rumors that the federal government might take over private 401k funds and fold them into the decaying Social Security system. Bye-bye personal savings.

He also said: "On May 12th when I announced my candidacy for president, our national debt was $9.366 trillion. Today, less than seven months later, our national debt is $10.681 trillion."

And, speaking of deficits, Bob adds that he's, uh, got some lingering debts of his own from the just-completed presidential campaign when he apparently spent a little more money than he actually had in hand, like Democrat Hillary Clinton did without the Mark Penn part.

Bob says if we could all maybe chip in and help pay them off, that would be really great.

Then, Barr says, he can devote his full attention to this awful national debt problem.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credits: BobBarr2008.com

Comments

[dave]

how to (not) sneak around real answers to real questions by a snatch:
'silly bob silly republican deserter fake libertarian, mucho appearance no substance (add random and/or copious amount of condescending sympathy/irony/sarcasm/cynicism) preaches libertarianism/bigotry in a nutshell - you and your grandchildren will pay trillions galore cause he's no smarter than you and even more corrupt and irresponsible in wasting money you don't have than even yourself or anyone who'd subsidize bee farming that results in mysterious mass desertation or murder and/or suicide of the bees so no one ever gets to eat any real honey anymore.'

[Danny S]

That was a nice balanced article. The end touch made me smirk.

Rumors abound of Barr running for some upcoming office. Some say it will be as a Republican for Congress in 2010, but I don't see that happening again. He may also run for Congress or Senate as a Libertarian in 2010 or 2012, or President on the Libertarian ticket in 2012.

Wayne Allyn Root may also run for mayor of Las Vegas(he ran as VP on the Libertarian ticket) as a Libertarian.

[tj]

He needs to stay with the Libertarian party to prove his true principles.
I think he needs to stay out of the presidential race on 2012. He should run for congress or senate as a Libertarian.

I like Wayne Root. He is the furture of the Libertarian party, like him or not. Check out this interview with him.
http://libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com/2008/12/libertarian-vice-presidential-candidate.html

[Nick]

I fully support Barr's opinion on the bailouts