Bob Barr picked as Libertarian Party's presidential nominee!

May 26, 2008 - The Libertarian Party on Sunday picked former Republican Rep. Bob Barr to be its presidential candidate after six rounds of balloting.

Barr beat research scientist Mary Ruwart, who also sought the party's presidential nomination unsuccessfully in 1983, on the final ballot. The vote was 324-276.

Barr endorsed Wayne Allyn Root, who was eliminated in the fifth round, to be his vice-presidential nominee.

Barr left the GOP in 2006 over what he called bloated spending and civil liberties intrusions by the Bush regime. The former Congressman also said he is against the war in Iraq, which is being paid for with borrowed money, and he's pledged to immediately begin a drawdown of U.S. forces in the country.

Onetime Libertarian Party nominee Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) garnered more than 1 million votes in this year's Republican presidential primaries running on a platform against foreign intervention and for personal liberty. His supporters could become a key base for a Barr campaign.

Paul has refused to endorse presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, but it remains unclear whether he will formally throw his support behind the Libertarians' choice.

Barr said he's not in the race to be a spoiler.

"I'm a competitor and I'm in this to win. I do not view the role of the Libertarian Party to be a spoiler and I certainly have no intention of being a spoiler," Barr said.

Barr said he expects the party to be on the ballot in at least 48 states and perhaps all 50 if the party can qualify in West Virginia and Oklahoma. Barr said he also expects to be invited to the national political debates by qualifying with poll support of 15 percent or more of registered voters.