A Fiscal Conservative Runs for President

Ben Evans reports that Robert Barr will run as a Libertarian:

Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr launched a Libertarian Party presidential bid Monday, saying voters are hungry for an alternative to the status quo who would dramatically cut the federal government … If he wins the White House, he said he would immediately freeze discretionary spending in Washington. He also would begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and consider slashing spending at federal agencies such as the departments of education and commerce _ as well as at overseas military bases … “This notion that government owes something to people just because they’re here does not resonate with me,” he said. “This is not a charity.” Barr, 59, quit the Republican Party two years ago, saying he had grown disillusioned with its failure to shrink government and its willingness to scale back civil liberties in fighting terrorism. He has been particularly critical of President Bush over the war in Iraq and says the administration is ignoring constitutional protections on due process and privacy.

Barr is a lot like Ron Paul on issues such as fiscal policy, civil liberties, and the Iraq fiasco.