Bob Barr Won't Share Stage with Cynthia McKinney: The Libertarian presidential candidate asks Ron Paul to run with him Special to Speakin' Out News

Libertarian presidential candidate and former Republican representative Bob Barr; Democratic congressman Cynthia McKinney and Green Party presidential candidtate; and Libertarian Republican congressman Ron Paul

Libertarian Republican congressman Ron Paul wanted the third-party candidates to come together in solidarity at the National Press Club, but not everyone thought that was a good idea.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Bob Barr, the former Republican representative who is now running in the 2008 presidential election as the Libertarian Party candidate, indicated his refusal to share any stage that has former Democratic representative and current Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney on it.

Paul was joined by McKinney, Independent candidate Ralph Nader, and Constitutional Party candidate Chuck Baldwin. Reportedly, Barr was supposed to attend the event but had a change of heart.

“Bob had a press conference right after that one,” said Andrew Davis, a campaign spokesman for the Barr campaign. “He didn’t want to dilute his message by being on the same stage as people like Cynthia McKinney, who is completely opposite of what a Libertarian is.”

Scott McLarty, spokesman for the Green Party, said that Barr’s decision and the reason behind it came as “a disappointment” to him.

“The Green Party has been in alliance with the Libertarian Party on many issues, including election integrity and ballot access fairness,” McLarty said, adding that the Republican-turned-Libertarian “seemed petty and hostile to Cynthia McKinney in particular and the Green Party in general. They all disagree on a number of issues, no doubt about it. But it was the agreement that was important and Bob Barr brushed that aside.”

Barr has also asked Paul to be his running mate. Incidentally, the Libertarian candidate already has someone running on the ticket with him, Wayne Root of Nevada, but Root indicated that he would be willing to “step aside for Paul.”