WASHINGTON — Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., launched a Libertarian Party presidential bid Monday, saying voters are hungry for an alternative to the status quo, someone who would dramatically cut the federal government.
His candidacy throws a wild card into the White House race that many believe could peel away votes from Republican Sen. John McCain, given the candidates’ similar positions on fiscal policy.
Barr, who has hired Ross Perot’s former campaign manager, acknowledged that some Republicans have tried to discourage him from running.
“I’ve heard from Americans from all walks of life. … They want a choice,” he said at a news conference in Washington. “They believe that America has more and better to offer than what the current political situation is serving up to us.”
Barr first must win the Libertarian nomination at the party’s national convention, which begins May 22 in Denver.
