Statement from Bob Barr Regarding 2004 Election

Wednesday, April 23, 2003

 - Press Release from Bob Barr, April 23, 2003, 11:00 a.m.

"I have always run for office because I believe there are good laws and bad laws; right policies and wrong policies. I have two boys just graduating from college and I want them to grow up and have jobs and families of their own, in a world where freedom means something and safety is more than an illusion.

"However, you pay a price for being able to influence our nation's destiny. It's a price you pay a little bit at a time, but a high one nonetheless. You pay it when you miss a child's birthday because you have to be in Washington for a vote. You pay it when you leave home before your family awakes, to speak to a civic club two hours away at 7am and return long after they've fallen asleep because an evening fundraiser ran past 11pm.

"There is a time in life for everything. Right now is the time for me to be a husband, father, and grandfather first, and a political activist second. There may well be a time in the future when I can once again devote 100% of my energy to running for office, but that time is just not this year.

"You may hear some wild rumors about why I've decided not to run, but the truth is surprisingly uncomplicated. It's a choice thousands of Americans quietly make every day. I want nothing more and nothing less than a chance to spend more time with my family and work hard to earn a solid living.

"The many supporters who have stood behind this campaign with their precious time and resources need to know I will not be silent on the issues we care about. Their support is an investment in a better America, and I will always work to make sure it pays off.

"I want to have a more balanced life, but that does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that I will be silent on policy issues or absent from the political scene. In fact, I believe I can accomplish just as much or more by focusing on a handful of key issues outside of Congress.

"I will be active in the public arena, through writing, regular media commentary, and holding key policy posts in the American Conservative Union, Freedom Alliance, the NRA and other organizations. My Political Action Committee, the Barr Leadership Fund, will also continue to be an active player in supporting strong conservative candidates.

"Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America, issued the following supportive statement: 'Bob Barr will be a fighter for truth and justice regardless of whether he's in or out of Congress. I have no doubt he will continue to serve our country. We know he will continue his commitment to the defense of the Second Amendment and the Bill of Rights, for the rest of his life.'"

"David Keene, Chairman, American Conservative Union: 'Bob Barr is one of the most articulate and admired conservative leaders in the country today. He was a great conservative Congressman and had he decided to return to Congress, he could have expected conservatives around the country as well as in his district to rally round him and we all know that Congress would be a better place if he were there. But, principled leadership is needed outside the Congress as well. History tells us that leaders lead regardless of where they find themselves. I believe Bob will have even more impact on the issues of concern to us all by helping to provide principled leadership to the movement in a way that will allow all of us to vastly enhance our ability to affect the course of public policy. We would be delighted if Bob had chosen to return to Congress, but frankly we're even more delighted that he will continue as Chairman of the ACU Foundation's 21st Century Privacy and Freedom Center."

Tom Kilgannon, President of Freedom Alliance expressed similar support for the Congressman, saying: "Colonel North and I admired the work Bob accomplished during his eight years in the House - he provides leadership on so many important issues. And although the next Congress will miss that leadership, we look forward to working with him at Freedom Alliance."