Bob Barr creates exploratory committee

http://thirdpartywatch.com/…

According to bloggage at the New York Times (confirmed by other sources), Bob Barr announced today that he’s (drum roll, please) … forming an exploratory committee.

Barr’s newly launched web site also bears the “exploratory committee” label.

Don’t know about y’all, but I’ve never heard of a prospective presidential candidate forming an “exploratory committee” weeks after his party’s only primaries, less than two months before his party’s presidential nominating convention, and only seven months before the general election.

Then again, I’ve never heard of a two-term former US Senator and Democratic presidential candidate jumping the partisan fence one day and declaring for his new party’s presidential nomination the next day, either.

It’s turning into a very strange election year indeed.

There you go Jim. The LP race just gets more interesting all the time. So when is Ventura jumping in?

Taking Money from Me for My Own Good

The new state budget isn’t official yet, but one certain outcome is that it will boost the state cigarette tax by $1.25 per pack, making it the highest in the nation. The state’s $2.75/pack tax, combined with New York City’s own $1.50 tax, will push the cost of major brands to over $9 per pack in the city.

The American Cancer Society is claiming the tax hike will somehow prevent over 200,000 teenagers from ever taking up smoking — an absurd assertion. Audrey Silk, the 2005 Libertarian Party candidate for NYC mayor, cuts right through the crap and tells it like it is:

“This is putting a gun to my head and saying you are taking money from me for my own good,” said Audrey Silk of Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, based in New York City. “It’s no different than a robber saying that when he’s sticking you up.”

Ron Paul May Endorse Bob Barr

It looks like Bob Barr is finally heeding the call of my typo-titled petition and will seek the Liberarian nomination for President. I think this is very good news. Barr is simply outstanding on a lot of libertarian issues, and he’s certainly libertarian on all the top issues of the day, like the the war and civil liberties.

That doesn’t mean he should give a pass, by any means. He has a dubious track record from his stint in Congress to account for, and he should fully and publicly account for it before he is considered for the nomination. But it’s in all of our best interest to give him  a fair hearing.

And as a bonus, a website is reporting that Ron Paul may endorse Barr’s candidacy, which would be wonderful but weird, since Paul is still officially a candidate himself.

In other LP presidential contender news, you may have heard that former Democratic Alaskan Senator Mike Gravel joined the Libertarian Party last week and declared his candidacy for the presidential nomination. I think that’s, um, nice, but just way beyond the pale. Not that Gravel doesn’t have a lot going for him. For leaking the Pentagon Papers alone, he’s an American hero. But his economic policies are about as unlibertarian as you can get.

Free At Last…

… from jury duty, that it. I’m going to have a lot to say about the experience and lessons learned in an article for the next print edition of Serf City. For now, it suffices to say that it sucked big time, and I’m glad it’s over.