Bob Barr’s presidential campaign has recently learned of an action by the McCain campaign and the Pennsylvania Republican Party to have Barr removed from the state’s ballot, this despite McCain’s promise in the 2000 election that he would, “never consider, ever consider, allowing a supporter of [his] to challenge [his opponent]‘s right to be on the ballot in all 50 states.”

In 2000, McCain told reporters, ”Let’s not have the kind of Stalinist politics that the state of New York, the Republican Party, has been practicing.”

“This move by the McCain campaign completely contradicts everything John McCain stood for in 2000 when his competitors were trying to keep him off the ballot,” says Barr. “McCain has become a part of the same corrupted machine he spoke vehemently against only eight years ago.”

“This is America, where people have a right to run for office and a right to compete for the chance to lead the people of this nation,” Barr continues. “I look forward to the chance to compete fairly against Senator McCain for votes in Pennsylvania and every other state.”

“Third party candidates face many hurdles when just trying to get on the ballot to give voters more choice in elections,” says William Redpath, national chairman for the Libertarian Party. “From time to time, they will also face challenges after they are on the ballot from establishment candidates fearful of the impact third parties might have on their races. If they are that worried about competition from third party candidates, rather than trying to limit voters’ choices, politicians should implement Instant Runoff Voting, which would allow voters to rank their candidates in order of preference, end the ‘spoiler problem,’ and allow people to vote their conscience without helping to elect the major party candidate they like least.”

In a recent email to supporters, Barr’s campaign manager, Russell Verney, stated that McCain’s attempt to block Barr from the ballot is one “you might expect of a dictator in North Korea, Libya, China, or Iran.” Verney, who also was the campaign manager for Ross Perot, called the plot “a blatantly hypocritical move.”

“This move is certainly one of the more brazen attempts to lock me out of the political process,” explains Barr. “But it is simply just one more example of how the political establishment desperately clings to their own power instead of empowering the people. The political establishment serves only themselves and not the people of this nation. It is time candidates for the most powerful position in the world compete based on ideas and not dirty politics.”

“I challenge Senator McCain to forcefully and publicly instruct his agents to drop the lawsuit,” says Barr.

Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, where he served as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Financial Services. Prior to his congressional career, Barr was appointed by President Reagan to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, and also served as an official with the CIA. Since leaving Congress, Barr has been practicing law and has teamed up with groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the American Conservative Union to actively advocate every American citizens’ right to privacy and other civil liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Along with this, Bob is committed to helping elect leaders who will strive for smaller government, lower taxes and abundant individual freedom.