http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barr#Political_positions_in_Congress
Political positions in Congress
During his tenure, Barr was regarded as one of the most conservative members of Congress.[12] In 2002, he was described as "the idol of the gun-toting, abortion-fighting, IRS-hating hard right wing of American politics".[9] However, Barr's criticism of the Bush administration's encroachment on privacy and other civil liberties after the 9/11 attacks was unusual among House Republicans.[9] This criticism earned Barr other labels such as maverick,[9] Jekyll-and-Hyde,[13] and libertarian.[11]
I have some real memmory of this stinker in action. Hes a tool who will change his ideas for political gain.
[edit] War on drugs
Barr was a strong supporter of the War on Drugs, reflecting his previous experience as Anti-Drug Coordinator for the Department of Justice.[14] While in Congress, he was a member of the Speaker's Task Force for a Drug-Free America.[13][14] This task force was established in 1998 by then Speaker Newt Gingrich to "design a World War II-style victory plan to save America's children from illegal drugs."[15] The task force crafted legislation specifically designed to "win the War on Drugs by 2002".[15]
“ There is no legitimate use whatsoever for marijuana. This is not medicine. This is bogus witchcraft. It has no place in medicine, no place in pain relief ”
—Bob Barr, May 13 2002 debate with Neil Boortz[16]
Barr advocated complete federal prohibition of medical marijuana. In 1998, He successfully blocked implementation Initiative 59 -- the "Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative of 1998" -- which would have legalized medical marijuana in the District of Columbia.[17] The "Barr Amendment" to the 1999 Omnibus spending bill not only blocked implementation of Initiative 59 but prohibited the vote tally from even being released.[17][18] Nearly a year passed before a lawsuit filed by the ACLU eventually revealed the initiative had received 69% of the vote.[19] In response to the judge's ruling, Barr simply attached an amendment to the 2000 Omnibus spending bill that overturned Intiative 59 outright.[20] Since leaving Congress, Barr's position on medical marijuana has changed dramatically and he now lobbies for state choice on the issue.[21][22]
In contrast to his otherwise fierce drug warrior image, Barr opposed prohibiting the dissemination of information about the manufacture of illegal drugs in the Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act, citing free speech reasons.[23]
[edit] Same-sex marriage
Barr took a lead in legislative debate concerning same-sex marriage. He authored and sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act, a law enacted in 1996 which states that only marriages that are between a man and a woman can be federally recognized, and individual states may choose not to recognize a same-sex marriage performed in another state.[24] However, he does not support the Federal Marriage Amendment, citing states' rights reasons.[25]
[edit] Terrorism
He voted for the Patriot Act, but only after his amendments adding "sunset clauses" were added to the final bill.[26] Barr played a similar role during the debate over Bill Clinton's Comprehensive Anti-terrorism Act of 1995, crafting pro-civil liberties amendments to the original text.[27] He now publicly regrets his Patriot Act vote.[28][29]
[edit] Other issues
In Congress, he also controversially proposed that the Pentagon ban the practice of Wicca in the military.[28][30]
Barr is also a supporter of the Fair Tax and repealing the 16th Amendment[31], which gives the US Congress the right to levy an income tax.
[edit] Role in Clinton impeachment
Barr is best known for his role as one of the House managers during the Clinton impeachment trial. It was Barr who first introduced a resolution directing Judiciary Committee to inquire into impeachment proceedings[32] -- months before the Monica Lewinsky scandal came to light. Chief among the concerns Barr cited at the time was apparent obstruction of Justice Department investigations into Clinton campaign fundraising from foreign sources, chiefly China.[33]
In 1999, during the impeachment trial of President Clinton, Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt offered money to anyone who could provide evidence that a prominent Republican had engaged in an extramarital affair. According to the American Journalism Review, "Barr was one of 13 House Republicans chosen to act as prosecutors in Clinton's Senate trial. Barr, Flynt's investigators found, "was guilty of king-size hypocrisy": An outspoken foe of abortion, the Georgia lawmaker had acquiesced to his then-wife having an abortion in 1983. And he had invoked a legal privilege during his 1985 divorce proceeding so he could refuse to answer questions on whether he'd cheated on his second wife with the woman who is now his third."[34]
