In Praise Of The Republican Bob Barr

[Itsthetruth]

CounterPunch
May 23, 2005

It's Not Patriotic to Violate the Constitution
In Praise of Bob Barr
By WALTER BRASCH

Bob Barr?! The far-right congressman who led the impeachment of Bill Clinton? The NRA board of directors member who believes the Second Amendment is the one that guarantees the protection of all the other amendments? Yes, that Bob Barr.

But, he's also the Bob Barr who has spoken out against the neo-conservative movement for its super-patriotic suppression of dissent, rising beliefs in a "tax-and-spend" bureaucracy, and unqualified support of the PATRIOT Act.

Six weeks after 9/11, about 85 percent of the House of Representatives, including Bob Barr, and all but one Senator, voted for the USA PATRIOT Act, a cutesy acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act. The Act was developed in secret by the Department of Justice, and pushed upon a shell-shocked Congress, most of whom had less than a day to read any of the 342-page document; most didn't read any of it. Prior to its passage, a few members of Congress spoke out against the Act, charging that it was developed in haste, and there were Constitutional issues that were swept aside by the Bush Administration and its Department of Justice.

But, the results of the Bush Administration's use of the PATRIOT Act and other measures to track down and capture terrorists have been almost non-existent, and its impact upon Americans' Constitutional rights has been severe. And so Bob Barr is on a nation-wide speaking tour, sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union ­yes, that civil liberties union-to let Americans know that the PATRIOT Act, while it has many provisions to strengthen America's defense, most of them in place long before 9/11, also has several odious sections that threaten Constitutional protections. With conviction honed by seven years as a CIA lawyer and analyst, four years as U.S. Attorney, and eight years as a congressman, most of that time spent on the Judiciary Committee, Barr has the credibility to go against the Bush Administration and any of its supporters. "More than any foreign terrorist group," Barr tells his audiences, "provisions of the PATRIOT Act are the greatest threat to America and to American citizens."


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Walter Brasch, professor of journalism at Bloomsburg University, is an award-winning syndicated columnist and the author of 15 books, most of them about social issues, the First Amendment, and the media. His forthcoming book is America's Unpatriotic Acts; The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Liberties.

http://www.counterpunch.org/brasch05232005.html

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Yes, it's nice Barr is doing this..but the thing that perplexes me

about Counterpunch is that they always manage to find praise for the Bob Barr's of the world while tearing apart the John Kerrys, Al Gores and Wesley Clarks of the world.

[Itsthetruth]

2. Will You Be Organizing An Anti-Patriot Act Tour For John Kerry?

Any chance that John Kerry, Al Gore, Wesley Clark and Harry Reid will go on tour to oppose the Patriot Act? I'm sure the ACLU would love to organize a tour for them .... if they would only oppose the Patriot Act.

Perhaps you should write a letter to the ACLU condeming them for organizing the anti-Patriot Act tour.

Now that's real smart politics. Condemn any conservative or Republican who may oppose the Patriot Act or occupation of Iraq and applaud any Democratic politician who supports the Patriot Act and Iraq war. Why should one do that? Why, because they call themselves "Democrats"! Why, that's certainly good enough for me!

I hope you were not one of those who thought running a pro-war, anti-bill of rights, union busting, right-wing Republican Senator as the Democratic candidate for Vice-President was a marvelous idea. I'm talking about Senator McCain.

[redqueen]

3. We need to recognize where we share common ground with Republicans

We could at least start maybe making some progress in those areas, and start putting an end to the extremem divisiveness that's gripped this country.