That being said let's clear the air some on Barr's affiliation with the ACLU. Barr worked for them on personal privacy issues, topics that many conservatives would agree. He disagreed with some of the provisions of the Patriot Act, as did other conservatives, on a Constitutional basis.
I don't fault Barr or other conservatives for questioning some of the Act, I think there was sound, constitutional basis to do so and to not at least address them would be irresponsible. If there are questions, I say get them out in the open and discuss them because if they are wrong we need to understand that and if they are okay then it will only solidify that position.
The “torch and pitchfork” crowd want everyone to take to the streets just on the mention of the word ACLU. I agree they are usually at odds with conservative opinion, but that doesn't mean they always are and each situation needs to be judged on it's own merits. I'm not going to go back through the archives and make a list of when or where but I remember several times FReepers being in amazement that the ACLU “was on the right side” of a certain issue.
Although the odds may be with you, blindly being against something only because it has the ACLU attached to it makes about as much sense as being against welfare reform because Bill Clinton signed it into law.
As for Barr, I'm disappointed he may go to a 3rd party but as far as his association with the ACLU, to me he was taking money from them that might have gone to efforts more hated by the right. I can't support Barr's candidacy but this knee ignorant jerk hatred of him is almost pathological.
BTW - Barr was a good friend of Free Republic and our “congressional sponsor” for a long time. He passionately spoke at many of our rallies in DC and I sat in his office several times discussing issues important to all of us. You may disagree with him now and the path he has chosen but at least show him the respect an old friend of Free Republic deserves.
Sorry, triangulating isn’t going to make the stench of the ACLU turn into scent of roses just for Bob Barr. He chose to go to work for an institution dedicated to the degeneration of America. He’s one of them regardless of how much he and his defenders try to spin the ACLU into ‘not so bad on some issues’. You might have gotten further by characterizing his joining the ACLU as pragmatic, like ‘he needed a job.’ People in North GA know Barr for what he really is and it isn’t pretty.
Great post. Thanks.