JANE MAKES BOB BARR THINK OF HAVING A CIGAR

A few days ago, my friend Jane Hamsher told me she was going to be interviewing Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr and asked me if I had any ideas for questions. I suggested she write him a check. Barr has a role to play in 2008-- and that role is to make sure that Bush doesn't get a third term in the person of dazed and confused John W. McCain. Barr was one of the moving forces behind the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Today-- actually yesterday-- he told Jane that Bush is way way worse than Clinton ever was. He explains why he feels Bush's presidency was "destructive of our notion of government."

President Clinton... I certainly had my problems with him. But what he did, in terms of perjury and obstruction was bad but it was not destructive of the very systemic foundations of our country.

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Tomorrow's NY Times profiles Barr and his presidential run, which he seems to be thoroughly enjoying, even if a national poll shows him with only a 3% share of the vote right now..

On the ballots in 30 states so far, Mr. Barr has the chance to be a spoiler for Mr. McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, in several states, among them Alaska, Colorado and Georgia. Mr. Barr’s campaign advisers also assert he has similar potential in other mountain states, New Hampshire, Ohio and other swing states.

...Now, on the war in Iraq, he advocates for a speedy and complete withdrawal of troops, with no permanent bases; on same-sex marriage, he believes that states should make their own laws; and on wiretaps without warrants, he is fiercely opposed, arguing that the bill that would legalize searches without warrants violates an individual’s constitutional rights.

Mr. Barr says he is running because he is fed up with what he calls years of Republicans turning their backs on the party’s fundamental values of tight spending and limited government. He is doing it with very little money; just over $300,000 has trickled into the campaign so far.