Gary Aldrich
Friday, Jan. 17, 2003

Former Congressman Bob Barr, a member of the board at The Patrick Henry Center, has joined CNN as a regular contributor. Even some of the faithful Fox viewers may now stray over to CNN every once in a while to get a glimpse of one of their favorite conservative leaders.

Congressman Barr is best known as the courageous firebrand from Marietta, Ga., who led the charge to impeach President Clinton. In the last election, Georgia Democrats were determined to punish Barr and conspired to oust him from office by combining two congressional districts. Barr and fellow Republican John Linder were forced to fight for the same congressional seat. The district, crafted by state Democrats, heavily favored Linder. Bob Barr lost, no doubt bringing joy to the hearts of stung liberal Democrats everywhere.

But a move to swat Barr for attempting to remove a corrupt Democrat from the White House may eventually backfire on the Dems. Barr is now exploring the possibility of running for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia if it appears viable for him in the next election cycle.

There is a good chance he would win.

Regularly appearing on CNN – a major cable news network headquartered in Atlanta – can do nothing but help Barr's chances if that U.S. Senate seat beckons. And, being governor of Georgia could not hurt Barr's prospects of higher federal office either if that possibility presents itself.

Democrats might have been better served by letting him remain in Congress, one of several hundred voices. Now he is free to pursue other quests.

Barr, a former U.S. attorney, has always been a leader, even when political leadership has cost him dearly. In 1988 he prosecuted a fellow Republican who was convicted of lying to a grand jury. Though he has been a victim of the politics of personal destruction (Larry Flynt, notorious pornographer and friend of Bill Clinton, was offering a million dollars to anyone who could dig up dirt on Barr), he still has no tolerance for corruption, regardless of whose ox gets gored. Such character is hard to find in Washington.

Some politicians on the Hill are actually frightened by this "unusual" character. After all, it's easy to corrupt someone who can be blackmailed. But in all the time I've ever been around Barr, I've never observed any behavior that could be criticized. He has acted like a true gentleman in all his dealings.

As a board member of the NRA, he has traveled the country speaking on issues related to the Second Amendment. He is a true champion of privacy rights. He has a nationwide following and high name recognition. Is there any doubt as to why CNN would want such a reputable and knowledgeable gentleman contributing to its network?

CNN's ratings have been lagging behind those of Fox, perhaps a result of the steady accusations of liberal bias when reporting on political issues. Right now Americans seem to be in no mood for more Democrat wacky feel-good solutions to what ails this land.

Other than Robert Novak, CNN appears to be a one-party network. This has been so obvious to some that CNN was jokingly referred to as the "Clinton News Network" during the flawed and messy Clinton administration. Ironically, Greta Van Susteren, who seemed to have nothing else to do except defend Clinton while she labored in the studios of CNN, now appears as a host on Fox!

If it's true that politics makes strange bedfellows, then it must be true that the media – in order to survive and prosper – will have to allow different opinions or perish. I'm glad CNN has seen the light.

CNN made a good decision in hiring Barr, and Fox was smart to go after one of CNN's anchors. Barr's presence at CNN should be refreshing and begin to help balance the scales. However, they will need to add many more conservative voices if they ever want to catch up to Fox.

Democrats would be well advised to remember that old saying, "Be careful what you wish for – you may get it." They wanted Barr's head on a platter; they got it when he lost his congressional seat. But now Barr is free to launch himself in new directions, and he has millions of Americans all over the country who support his conservative views. They all have wallets, and when Barr makes his move you can bet he will be well funded.

Meanwhile, look for Bob Barr on CNN. He never gives a liberal Democrat a break.

A 30-year veteran of the FBI, Gary Aldrich is the author of the best-selling book "Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the Clinton White House" and founder of The Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty.

E-mail Gary Aldrich at PatHenCntr@aol.com.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Impeachment
Media Bias

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