John McCain Doesn't Care About Individual Liberty

Conservative columnist P.J. O'Rourke once said that conservatives are "participants in an enormous non-march on Washington -- millions and millions of Americans not descending upon the nation's capital in order to demand nothing from the United States government. To demand nothing, that is, except the one thing which no government in history has been able to do -- leave us alone."

But the page of John McCain's website that purports to be about the "issues" of the campaign will lead you to the conclusion that John McCain has no plans to leave you alone. In fact, despite the most intrusive big-government program of them all--the Patriot Act--John McCain has nothing to say about the matter. That's because he wholeheartedly supports Patriot Act intrusions into your life. His is not a conservative posititon at all. He is a big-government bureaucrat whom real Republicans should reject.

On the other hand, Bob Barr led the fight against an open-ended Patriot Act--insisting that the measure include "sunset" expiration dates--and now has taken a firm. principled. conservative position against that law. From the Barr '08 website:

" Unfortunately, in recent years government at all levels has shown growing disrespect for the Constitution, particularly the Fourth Amendment that protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures. The sustained government attack on the sanctity of the rights of the individual, including their right to be secure in their privacy and property, has created a moral and Constitutional crisis. America’s elected officials at all levels must renew their respect for the law and work to protect the rights of individuals."

Notably, Bob Barr's website contains an entire section entitled "Individual Liberty." Bob's the real conservative in this race. he wants the government out of your life, not intruding farther farther into it. His is the stance of Barry Goldwater--that the federal government that leaves its citizens alone is the one that we should strive towards.