Barr: GOP Says One Thing And Does Another

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr, who has some Republicans worried that he might take votes from their nominee, on Sunday accused the GOP and its standard-bearer Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) of saying one thing and doing another. “What’s wrong with John McCain is symptomatic of what’s wrong with the Republican Party in these first years of the 21st century,” said Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia. “They talk one thing but do something different, and that’s become very obvious to the American people.” When asked about his potential role as spoiler, Barr said on Fox News Sunday that, “if [Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)] wins on November 4th and Sen. McCain and I lose, it will be because he presented a vision and a platform and a candidacy to the American people that resonated with a plurality of the voters.” Despite his former party affiliation, the Libertarian candidate also said that he did not necessarily view McCain as preferable over Obama. “This is very much a mixed bag. For example, on some of the civil liberties and privacy issues with which I and the Libertarian Party are very concerned, Sen. Obama clearly is much better,” he said. “On other issues, those relating to the cost of government and government spending, while neither candidate is good, Sen. Obama clearly would favor a more expansive federal spending policy.”Barr especially took issue with the GOP’s position on government surveillance of Americans. “This is a fundamental issue that goes to the very nature and power of our government, but nobody’s really talking about it,” he said. In the interview, the former lawmaker was pushed on his own record, with host Chris Wallace pointing out that Barr had supported the Patriot Act and backed the Iraq war. “I was wrong with regard to the Patriot Act, entrusting the administration with its assurances that the act would not be used and abused,” he said. “And I certainly was wrong, along with a lot of others in the Congress, who now realize that their vote in support of military operations in Iraq was not what the administration intended. They intended to occupy the country even though they didn’t tell us or the American people that at the time.” Barr also had to answer questions about wanting to run a national campaign on a shoestring budget. However, the candidate said that his campaign is just beginning, adding that his staff includes Ross Perot’s former campaign manager, deputy campaign manager and finance director. In addition, Barr said, the Libertarian Party has “an Internet team that worked for Ron Paul,” the Texas Republican who had shocked the establishment with his online fundraising prowess in the GOP primary.

Nader To Democrats: Stop Blaming Me For ’00 Election

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is frustrated over his failed attempts to testify before congress on consumer issues and believes Democrats are still angry at him for the role his 2000 presidential candidacy played in the election of George Bush. In an interview with The Washington Times, Nader expresses frustration with the current state of politics on Capitol Hill and says it is the motivating force behind his sixth attempt at winning the White House as a third party candidate. The wealthy political activist and perennial competitor for the nation’s highest office believes Democrats still hold a grudge against him for marring up the first election of Bush over defeated Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore by 537 votes in Florida. Nader believes the 96,000 votes he garnered in Florida in the 2000 election is the sticking point with Democrats and the reason he’s being kept from participating on legislative issues in Washington. Nader says Democrats still erroneously believe the vast majority of those votes would have gone to Gore, ultimately tipping the scale in favor of their party’s beleaguered candidate. “They [the Democrats] are so small-minded to keep the myth up that it wasn't them that got Bush in the White House, it was Nader/LaDuke,” he says, referring to his 2000 vice presidential running mate in the hotly contested race.“To keep that myth and sustain it in the public's mind, they can't possibly associate with me or have me testify, even though they knew they [the Democrats] blew it in a thousand ways in 2000 and 2004.” Nader complains he isn’t given the same chance as other presumptive nominees to promote his candidacy’s objectives and is being denied the media opportunity to speak out on political issues he’s championed throughout his decades-long career. Nader suggests Democrats stop scapegoating him for their own failings and goes on to accuse the party of selling out to corporate interests they aren’t compelled to pull away from.“The liberals and progressives have lost their guts,” he chides. “They fight the one candidacy that has a chance of slightly shoehorning their recommendations inside the electoral arena. I don’t know a country in the world where you have to fight your traditional economic adversaries and your ideological allies.” Nader cites several examples of when he has been denied the opportunity to testify on such issues as President Bush’s nominations, or on policies regarding civil liberties and consumer affairs from which his career as a political advocate stems. “I used to be the most frequent person there," he reminds, but that now a “spite mentality prevents Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman,” in particular, from his being asked to testify. “If somebody that strong is worried about that peer group pressure, it tells you something,” he says, conferring that it’s been more than seven years since he last testified, ironically coinciding with the merciful end of the 2000 presidential debacle. Nader believes the 220-year old system of two-party, winner-take-all Electoral College duopoly that excludes third parties is archaic. “It’s insane,” he explains. “I understand the prison, but I don’t understand why [voters] don’t break out of it. There are millions of you.”

Bob Barr Calls Heller Decision On Gun Rights 'One Of Court's Most Important Rulings On Behalf Of Liberty'

Today the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the individual right of Americans to own guns in District of Columbia v. Heller. The ruling "will go down as one of the Supreme Court's most important rulings on behalf of liberty," says Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr. Until today, the Court had never held that the Second Amendment directly applied to individuals. "Today's decision marks a new era for gun rights in America," explains Barr, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association. Barr also drafted the Libertarian Party's amicus curiae brief in Heller. "By protecting an individual's right to keep and bear arms, the Second Amendment ensures that all Americans are able to participate in sporting activities, hunt, and protect themselves and their families," he explains. The right to self-defense is particularly important for women and minorities in a city like Washington, D.C. "Where crime rates are high, a gun may be the only means for law-abiding citizens to safeguard themselves and their families," Barr notes. "Lawful gun ownership deters an untold number of crimes every year." But the Court's ruling, though welcome, is not enough. "It is important to have a president who also supports the right of Americans to own firearms," says Barr. "Sen. Barack Obama says that he believes in such a constitutional right, but he supports the District of Columbia's ban, which gives criminals an advantage over law-abiding citizens," notes Barr.Sen. McCain has not advocated an absolute prohibition, "but he cosponsored legislation which could require registration of attendees at gun shows and even ban such shows," Barr warns. And Sen. McCain's campaign legislation "curtailed the First Amendment right of gun owners to protect their rights by participating in election campaigns." As part of the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment undergirds American liberty. "The individual's right to keep and bear arms helps ensure all of our freedoms," says Barr. "The Supreme Court's recognition of the constitutional right to gun ownership is a recognition of the right to life, liberty, and property for all Americans." 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.

Hindu Monkey God Asked To Lead Obama To Triumph

A dozen priests chanted around a sacred fire in New Delhi on Tuesday as a group of Indians offered prayers to the Hindu monkey god Hanuman asking him to grant U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama an election victory in November. Several dozen people took part in the ceremony held at a Hanuman temple. Many said they believed an Obama victory would bring positive change to the world. "From the land of (Mahatma) Gandhi we convey our best wishes to Mr. Obama for the forthcoming presidential elections in the United States," said Brij Mohan Bhama, a local businessman who organized the event. Bhama said an Obama victory would be good for India and the rest of world "because he stands for change" and would help stem rising prices, poverty and terrorism. Bhama said he got the idea for Tuesday's event after reading reports in Indian media that among the many good luck charms Obama carries is a replica of Hanuman. Hanuman is one of the most popular gods in the crowded pantheon of Hindu deities, and devout Hindus ascribe great strength and valour to him.Hanuman's most famous feat, as described in the Hindu epic Ramayana, was leading a monkey army to fight the demon King Ravana and rescue a kidnapped princess. Bhama said he plans to send Obama a 15-kilogram statue of Hanuman that has been polished with gold. Bhama does not represent any official group in India, but Carolyn Sauvage-Mar, the chair of the U.S. group Democrats Abroad-India, attended Tuesday's ceremony. Sauvage-Mar, is one of 22 delegates who will represent overseas Americans in August at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Col. "I will definitely and happily bring their best wishes with me," she said of Obama's Indian fans. Taking the idol may prove more difficult, though. Sauvage-Mar said U.S. federal law prohibits senators from accepting any gifts that cost more than $10. But Bhama said he was certain the idol would make its way to Obama. "It is understood that representatives of Mr. Obama will help with sending the idol to him," he said without providing details.

Republicans Worry Barr Will Play Spoiler In A Tight Presidential Contest

A fiery former GOP congressman who gained national prominence for doggedly pursuing impeachment of President Bill Clinton has some Republicans worried he'll play spoiler in a tight presidential contest. Bob Barr's Libertarian Party bid for the White House is the longest of long shots, but political experts said he may be able to exploit the unease some die-hard conservatives still feel about Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee-in-waiting. Combined with the surge in turnout among Democrats during the primaries and a difficult political climate for Republicans, they see what could be a recipe for trouble for the GOP. Dan Schnur, a GOP consultant in California who worked on McCain's 2000 campaign but is not involved in this year's contest, said Barr could be "the Ralph Nader of 2008."Consumer advocate Nader is the third-party candidate many Democrats blame for helping George W. Bush narrowly win in 2000. Barr, a former federal prosecutor, was swept into Congress with more than 70 other House GOP freshmen in 1994. An articulate, sometimes outspoken orator, he gained attention as the first lawmaker to call for Clinton's resignation over the Monica Lewinsky scandal and was one of the House prosecutors who pressed the impeachment case in the Senate. Some Republicans aren't worried about Barr's candidacy. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said voting for Barr is the same as voting for Democrat Barack Obama, and said he's confident most GOP voters will understand that. Barr scoffs at talk that he will play spoiler, saying he is in the race to win it and it won't be his fault if McCain loses. Barr said in an interview: "If Senator McCain is not successful, it will be because his message and his vision did not resonate with a plurality of the voters."

Obama Flip Flops Out Of Public Financing

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday he will bypass the federal public financing system in the general election, abandoning an earlier commitment to take the money if his Republican rival did as well. Obama, who set records raising money in the primary election, will forgo more than $84 million that would have been available to him in the general election. He would be the first candidate to do so since Congress passed 1970s post-Watergate campaign finance laws. Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee in waiting, has taken steps to accept the public funds in the general election. Obama officials said they decided to take that route because McCain is already spending privately raised funds toward the general election campaign. Obama has vastly outraised McCain, however, and would likely retain that advantage if McCain accepts the public money. The public finance system is paid for with the $3 contributions that taxpayers can make to the presidential fund in their tax returns.“It’s not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections,” Obama told supporters in a video message today. “But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who’ve become masters at gaming this broken system.” Obama said McCain and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and political action committees. “And we’ve already seen that he’s not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations,” Obama said. Obama has shattered president campaign fund-raising records, raking in more than $265 million thus far. Obama campaign lawyer Robert Bauer said he had met with McCain lawyers to discuss terms for both campaigns operating in the public financing system, but he said they could not agree on how to limit spending by the campaigns and outside groups heading into the late summer party conventions.

Barr, Nader Make Play for Paul Voters

When rebel Republican Ron Paul formally removed himself Thursday from the party’s presidential nomination race, both Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr and independent candidate Ralph Nader quickly stepped up their respective campaigns to court Paul’s abandoned supporters. An effort is underway by both camps to appeal and gain the majority of Paul’s voters and pledged delegates to the GOP convention in September. Paul amassed 1.16 million votes during the Republican primaries and caucuses and won 35 delegates who now can back other candidates. "Congressman Ron Paul has fought tirelessly in both the Libertarian Party and the Republican Party to minimize government power and maximize individual liberty," Barr says in a statement released Saturday aimed at Paul’s supporters. "I want to thank him for all he has done for liberty in this nation and encourage him to continue his fight through whatever avenues he sees fit." Barr, a former Georgia member of the U.S. House of Representatives, is appealing to Paul’s backers who are libertarian-minded on economic and social issues. Barr, like Paul, believes in cutting government spending and getting a handle on entitlement spending.The Libertarian Party plans to get Barr on the ballot in 48 states in November’s general election, and Paul's supporters could provide the kind of boost he needs to be a spoiler to GOP presidential candidate John McCain’s chances of being named the party’s nominee. Barr is counting on Paul's supporters for money and the number of votes he needs in order to qualify for participation in the upcoming presidential debates. Paul, a 10-term Texas House member who once ran as a Libertarian presidential nominee in 1988, raised nearly $35 million in donations from hundreds of thousands of supporters this election season, mostly via the Internet. Similarly, Ralph Nader, the wealthy political activist and perennial candidate for president in five elections, is also courting Paul voters and delegates for his bid to win the White House in November. “Ron Paul was a lightning rod for millions of Americans against the war in Iraq and for the protection of personal liberties the two major parties have turned their back on,” reads a statement released over the weekend by Nader’s campaign team.
“Now that Dr Paul has formally withdrawn his candidacy for the GOP nomination and is no longer seeking the Presidency, there is a clear choice for those who want to support a candidate who will stand up against the war and stand up for personal liberties and privacy that have been trampled by the notorious, misnamed, ‘Patriot Act,’” the statement reads. Nader, although commonly associated with the political left, has wooed conservative voters in the past, most recently in his 2004 independent candidacy in which he attracted a record number of disaffected conservative and libertarian voters in the general election. Nader says Paul’s supporters should rally around his campaign because he, like Paul, opposes the war in Iraq and the ‘Patriot Act,’ and is a fierce supporter of civil liberties. Ike Hall, an insider from the folded Paul campaign who coordinated his Georgia primary, says Paul’s supporters might even vote for Constitution Party nominee Chuck Baldwin. Or even for Democratic or Republican presumptive nominees Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., or Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "Ron Paul doesn't encourage or discourage anyone voting for any other candidate,” he says.

Ron Paul Ends His Campaign, Praises Bob Barr

Republican Ron Paul ended his rebel campaign Thursday night and announced a new effort to help elect libertarian-leaning Republicans to public office around the country. "With the primary season now over, the presidential campaign is at an end. But the larger campaign for freedom is just getting started," Paul told supporters in a letter posted on the website of the new group, Campaign for Liberty. "We will be a permanent presence on the American political landscape," added Paul, who announced his move during a rally coinciding with the Texas GOP State Convention in Houston. "That I promise you. We're not about to let all this good work die. To the contrary, with your help we're going to make it grow - by leaps and bounds." The 72-year-old Texas congressman won 24 delegates during the Republican primaries, but was the last remaining challenger to John McCain, the party's presumptive nominee. Paul has said he won't endorse McCain, but in an interview earlier Thursday, Paul had nice things to say about Bob Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia who is the Libertarian Party's nominee.Barr "talks our language, so I do really believe that he can have a very positive effect in this campaign and let the people know that limited government is a very, very important message," Paul said. Paul raised more than $34 million, much of it online, and had more than $4.7 million in hand at the end of April that he could use to fund Campaign for Liberty. He also developed a large grass-roots following among those who backed his call for ending the war in Iraq and smaller government at home. He easily passed the 1 million-vote mark during the primaries, and in the final three contests on June 3 he finished second to McCain, with 22 percent of the vote in Montana, 17 percent in South Dakota, and 14 percent in New Mexico. His new book, "The Revolution: A Manifesto," zoomed to the top of bestseller lists. Supporters, staging uprisings at state and county GOP conventions across the country, have pushed for a speaking role for Paul at the Republican National Convention in September in St. Paul. Because that does not appear likely, Paul confirmed plans Thursday to hold a counter-rally at an arena in neighboring Minneapolis on Sept. 2, the second day of the GOP convention.

Tom DeLay's Wife Plans To Vote For Bob Barr

Tom DeLay will vote for John McCain but the former House Republican leader said his wife, Christine, is planning to vote for Libertarian presidential nominee Bob Barr. "I'm trying to convince my wife not to do that," the Texas Republican told reporters. "She said it publicly yesterday." Mr. Barr's candidacy is an issue conservatives appear to be grappling with since he won the Libertarian party's nomination on the sixth ballot at their May 25 convention in Denver. Early polls suggest Mr. Barr could draw small but significant support in key states such as Georgia and North Carolina, potentially complicating the electoral picture for Mr. McCain, Republicans' presumed presidential nominee.Some conservative leaders are expressing their concern over Mr. Barr's appeal to Republicans who say they don't want to vote for Mr. McCain. They list a host of problems including his support for citizenship rights for most illegal immigrants, his support for government mandates to control greenhouse gas emissions, his efforts to limit campaign finances, his votes against both of President Bush's tax cuts and his repeated political clashes with Republicans.

Barr Wants In On Debates

About those 10 debates that Republican Presidential nominee John McCain has pitched to Democratic rival Barack Obama. Bob Barr wants a piece of the action. In an announcement the Libertarian Presidential candidate says he should be a part of staged confrontations between the Democrat and the Republican. “It is time for the American people to see a clash of ideas as well as of candidates,” Barr is quoted as saying. The Barr campaign said: Rock-the-Debates has called for “free, open and inclusive debates” that include all candidates with a mathematical chance of being elected.Barr says he would be pleased to begin at New York’s Federal Hall next week, as Sen. McCain suggested, or at a later time, if preferred by Sen. Obama. This raises an interesting question. McCain would probably oppose Barr’s participation. A higher Barr profile hurts the Republican. Does Obama insist on Barr’s participation — as Bill Clinton insisted on making Ross Perot part of the ’92 debates with George W. Bush? I talked with one strategist earlier today, before this topic came up. He said the Democratic campaign is quickly coming to realize that Bob Barr is Barack Obama’s best friend.

Bob Barr Says Young Voters Will Vote Libertarian

"Bob Barr has a long Libertarian voting record," explained a satirical Stephen Colbert. "In Congress he supported such privacy-friendly, small government initiatives as the Defense of Marriage Act, which made the government small enough to fit into a bedroom." "I, myself, am a Libertarian," he said. "I don't want big government to infringe on my right to tell other people how to live. And we Libertarians are finally having our moment in the sun! This is the year that many believe Libertarians will 'hold some serious sway in American politics.' We'll use that power to fulfill our dream of eliminating maximum occupancy rules in elevators and suggested age ranges on board games." "We're a big swing vote this time," explained Rep. Barr, running for President on the Libertarian ticket, "because Americans are finally realizing, at long last, that the current two-party system--the Democrats and the Republicans--have failed, and failed miserably, and simply will give them more of the same."Younger voters, especially, see a bleak future under a corrupt government that grows no matter who is in charge, said Barr. Libertarians, he continued, have a good candidate, "a fellow named Bob Barr," with few similarities to the infamous Ralph Nader. Combined with a solid platform, Barr predicts unprecedented support for the Libertarian ticket in the 2008 election. "You're a big advocate of personal privacy," said Colbert, who then asked: "Is that why you voted for the PATRIOT Act?" "I voted for the PATRIOT Act not because of that," Barr said, "but certainly--certainly, I have come to realize, as many members of Congress did, who voted for it based on a number of promises that were given to us by the Bush administration--at the highest level, shall we say...We realized very quickly those promises meant nothing." "What I've been trying to do over the last five years is to try and undo the PATRIOT Act," he continued, "and I would do that as President."

Libertarian Candidate Could Nab Votes In Dissatisfied Red States

Bob Barr's Libertarian P campaign is poised to play a serious role in this year's elections, with early polls showing him taking away enough votes from Sen. John McCain to give Democrats a chance to win states that should be safely Republican. Polls in Georgia and North Carolina over the last two weeks show Mr. Barr winning 8 percent and 6 percent respectively of the presidential vote, and in both cases helping keep likely Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama within striking distance of Mr. McCain in those states — which, taken together, account for more electoral votes than Florida, Pennsylvania or Ohio. "Barr does throw a monkeywrench in Republican plans in states people otherwise take for granted as Republican states," said Matt Towery, a former political adviser to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and CEO of InsiderAdvantage, an Atlanta-based polling and political analysis firm that conducted the Georgia poll.Mr. Towery said North Carolina and Georgia are exactly the places that Mr. Barr could put in play: both have high African-American populations that Mr. Obama can tap to boost his turnout numbers, and have conservative-leaning voters whose dissatisfaction with President Bush could lead them to a third-party candidate. The Georgia poll, taken just before Mr. Barr secured the Libertarian nomination, gave Mr. McCain 45 percent support, Mr. Obama 35 percent and Mr. Barr 8 percent. In North Carolina a Public Policy Polling survey released Monday found Mr. McCain at 43 percent, Mr. Obama at 40 percent and Mr. Barr at 6 percent. The poll's authors said Mr. Barr's support appeared to come particularly from independents who previously had broken for Mr. McCain. "It's a long way until the election but the early indication is that Bob Barr's presence on the ballot could be a good sign for whoever ends up as the Democratic nominee," said Dean Debnam, president of the poll. "He's likely to siphon off more voters who would otherwise be inclined to vote for McCain than he is from Clinton or Obama." Mr. Barr is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who switched to the Libertarian Party in 2006. He collected his new party's presidential nomination on the sixth ballot on May 25.

Is There A Shocking Michelle Obama Recording?

An untold story lies behind Hillary Clinton's determination to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination the possible revelation of a shocking recording of rival Barack Obama's wife Michelle. That's the word from longtime political analyst Roger J. Stone Jr., who writes on his The StoneZONE Web site that the recording purportedly documents Michelle Obama making racist comments in a speech.Michelle ObamaAccording to Stone, Hillary aides are in a race with Republicans to get their hands on the offensive recording. On the heels of Michelle Obama's quote that she has never been proud of her country until now, the new controversy could turn the contest upside down, but it more likely to benefit John McCain than to boost Hillary Clinton to the nomination if the alleged recording exists, Stone writes. He also asserts that Mark Penn, Clinton's former chief campaign strategist, has told sources that the bombshell could come this week.

Condoleezza Rice Meets Kiss

The Kiss Army fan club has an enthusiastic new recruit: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In a departure from her normally staid diplomatic duties, Rice met the legendary glam rock quartet when they happened to share a hotel in the Swedish capital. Rice was in Stockholm on Thursday for an international conference on Iraq. Kiss had a sold-out gig to play on Friday. "I was thrilled," Rice said of her late-night encounter with frontman Gene Simmons and bandmates Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer in the executive lounge of the Sheraton Hotel where they signed autographs and handed out backstage passes and T-shirts to her staff.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice"It was really fun to meet Kiss and Gene Simmons," she told reporters, noting they seemed well informed about current events. The band had asked if she could stop by after she finished dinner with the Swedish foreign minister and Rice readily agreed, she said. Simmons and his crew, who are on a European tour, weren't wearing their trademark stage makeup, but were recognizable as rock stars to even non-fans by their hair, according to State Department officials who were with Rice.Paul Stanley & Gene SimmonsRice, a classically trained pianist, said she has eclectic musical tastes ranging from Beethoven to Bruce Springsteen. Hard stadium rockers like Kiss are included in the mix and Rice said her favorite tune of theirs is "Rock and Roll All Day (and Party Every Night)." But, she conceded she had never seen the group in concert. In fact, although she frequently attends classical music performances, Rice claims to have been to only four rock concerts in her life. The first was in the early 1960s when she went as a 10-year-old to see Paul Revere and the Raiders in her home state of Alabama. After her family moved to Colorado, Rice went at the age of 16 went on her first date with an Air Force cadet to see Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. She later saw Earth, Wind and Fire in Denver and her last rock and roll show was a U2 concert in Washington, she said.

Karl Rove Keynotes MN GOP Convention

The former chief advisor to President George W. Bush wrapped up the convention in Rochester Saturday afternoon. He criticized Democrat Presidential Candidate Barack Obama saying he was far from the main stream. And Rove rallied Republicans to go after the undecided voters to regain control of congress."America is less safe today because of Barack Obama and (Speaker of the U.S. House) Nancy Pelosi because of their view. They've got of the intellegence power of the United States government and that's wrong," Rove said. Rove was the mastermind behind President Bush's election victories in 2000 and 2004.