"What I look for in Washington are folks in the Senate and the House who put the Constitution first. Not the 'R' or the 'D,' not partisan politics but the Constitution. And what you have in Russ, and I have worked closely with him over a number of years to try to rein in the Patriot Act, to try to rein in the government surveillance and so forth -- this is a man who understands the Constitution, who supports and fights sometimes against his own party to defend the Constitution in the Congress of the United States in ways that are much more consistent and much more proactive than a lot of Republicans."At the time, "Russ" was U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, incumbent Democrat from Wisconsin. Now he's a lame duck, losing on Tuesday to a wealthy tea-bagger who'd never before run for public office.
Barr's taken some heat, arguably deserved, for endorsing a candidate who co-sponsored campaign finance reform that's been ruled (in part) unconstitutional and who has a somewhat mixed record on the right to keep and bear arms.
What I hear from Barr is an intelligent conclusion born of critical thought, an endorsement informed by personal experience instead of campaign ads or political advantage.
There's one thing I don't hear, however: courage.
It's not an act of courage for a man to express independence when that's where he comes from. A conservative Southerner's endorsement of a Midwestern liberal -- if you buy the popular pigeonholes -- isn't courageously "reaching across the aisle" if the aisle doesn't exist.
There's much to respect here, and much to learn.
