The Blue Grass, Red State Corkscrew

Politics requires spin. Discrediting messengers is essential. However, this is ridiculous….

Kentuckians overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, but in 2004 Bob Barr spoke out against such amendments.

NEWSWEEK: You authored the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, but you’ve come out against an amendment to the constitution banning same-sex marriage. Why is that?

Bob Barr: Because I believe very strongly in federalism and that is that the federal government should not be stepping in and dictating social policy to the states. The Defense of Marriage Act was crafted very narrowly. Despite very strong pressure to make it a proactive piece of legislation, I crafted it very narrowly simply to define marriage for federal-law purposes and to make sure that states were protected to make up their own mind. And I continue to believe that that is the best policy.

Also, the Lou C-J's editorial on "Fletcher's odd bedfellow" Bob Barr was right on. In the piece, Barr was quoted as saying, "I could no longer justify in my mind continuing to work in the Republican Party."

By working for Ernie Fletcher, Bob Barr is definitely working against the Republican Party!

The editorial stated in part:

Why is Bob Barr suddenly in the middle of Kentucky's Republican gubernatorial politics? We thought Georgia Republicans had gotten rid of him in 2002, when they chose a different congressional candidate in their primary.

But now Mr. Barr has turned up here, in so-called "Robo calls" to rural Republicans, paid for by Ernie Fletcher's campaign. Mr. Barr and Dr. Fletcher want you to know that former Congresswoman Anne Northup once voted against school prayer. They are not mentioning the many times she voted for it.

But more interesting than yet another distortion during campaign season is this: Why would Gov. Fletcher choose Mr. Barr to speak for him?

Good question, C-J.

He also lobbies for the Marijuana Policy Project, which works toward another Libertarian goal: "Repeal all laws establishing criminal or civil penalties for the use of drugs."

Well, some of those things sound okay to proud, card-carrying liberals like us. But of all the people in the world, is this the guy Gov. Fletcher really wants as a front man?

Neither Ernie Fletcher nor Bob Barr represent mainstream Kentucky.