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.