Politech: FC: Rep. Bob Barr loses Republican primary, privacy loses an ally

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://news.com.com/2010-1071-955235.html?tag=politech

   Internet privacy loses a voice in D.C.
   By Declan McCullagh 
   August 26, 2002, 4:00 AM PT

   WASHINGTON--Georgia Rep. Bob Barr is an irascible conservative, an
   unyielding foe of abortion, gay marriage, and any drug more potent
   than nicotine. A floor manager during Bill Clinton's impeachment, Barr
   had lobbied for the president's ouster long before anyone knew of an
   intern's unfortunate affections inside the Oval Office.
   
   Yet even Naderites should recognize that Barr's defeat in Georgia's
   Republican primary last week removes the fiercest champion of privacy
   in the U.S. House of Representatives, and his electoral loss will be a
   gain for the surveillance state.
   
   As a member of the influential House Judiciary Committee, which
   oversees criminal laws, Barr has been in a unique position to advance
   privacy-friendly proposals while thwarting his opponents' more heinous
   schemes. Barr tried to limit government snooping on Americans' bank
   accounts (it failed, in a 129-299 vote), successfully campaigned for
   more oversight of the FBI's Carnivore monitoring system, and opposed a
   plan to let police obtain customer records from Internet providers and
   telephone companies without search warrants.

   [...]




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