by Bob Barr | Jul 19, 2019 | Uncategorized |
By Bill Rankin, The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionA Valdosta litigator will chair the state panel that investigates allegations of judicial misconduct.Pope Langdale, who specializes in wrongful death and personal injury cases, was elected Friday by a unanimous vote to head the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s investigative panel. DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Stacey Hydrick was elected vice chair.In recent years, the JQC has had a number of high-profile cases. In June, it filed ethics charges against Atlanta Municipal Court Judge Terrinee Gundy, accusing her of chronic tardiness and absenteeism — and then covering it up.Last year, the JQC brought charges against Superior Court Judge Mack Crawford of the Griffin Judicial Circuit, accusing him of the theft of more than $15,000 in court funds. After the seven-member JQC investigative panel filed charges, the commission’s three-person hearing panel, after holding a trial, recommended that Crawford be removed from office. That is now pending before the state Supreme Court, which will have the final say.Valdosta lawyer Pope Langdale, the new chair of the state’s Judicial Qualifications Commission’s investigative panel, at the State Bar of Georgia offices in Atlanta. (BILL RANKIN/brankin@ajc.com)Photo: The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionADVERTISINGAlso Friday, state Supreme Court Justice Michael Boggs swore-in two new members of the JQC’s investigative panel: former U.S. congressman and U.S. attorney Bob Barr and Superior Court Judge Verda Colvin of the Macon Judicial Circuit.Gov. Brian Kemp recently appointed Barr to the JQC panel. Colvin is an appointee of the state Supreme Court.They join current panel members Langdale, Hydrick, Marietta lawyer James Balli, Atlanta investigator Richard Hyde and Macon businessman Warren...
by Bob Barr | Jul 17, 2019 | Townhall Article |
Townhall.comLast week, the President of Taiwan visited the United States and four other countries, including the small Caribbean nation of Haiti. A visit by President Tsai Ing-wen to Haiti might be viewed with surprise by some observers. However, to those familiar with economic and strategic factors important to both Taiwan and the United States, the fact that Taiwan’s chief executive included a stop in Port-au-Prince during her visit to Washington, DC is significant.Haiti is one of only 18 countries that still recognize Taiwan diplomatically. Shoring up that support at a time mainland China is moving significantly to increase its economic and military presence in our hemisphere, is important not only for Taiwan but for the U.S. as well.Also important for America’s interests in the region is the fact that Haiti early this year joined with the United States in recognizing Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. When Jovenel Moise took his oath of office as Haiti’s 42nd President in February 2017, he inherited a government that had forged extremely close ties with the leftist regime in Venezuela. During his long tenure in office – from 1999 to 2013 – former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez used his personal charisma and his country’s vast supply of oil to win friends throughout the region. Moise’s predecessors benefitted greatly from Chavez’ largesse; receiving huge quantities of Venezuelan oil under an extremely beneficial deferred payment plan. The “Petrocaribe” program was launched in 2004; but instead of boosting Haiti’s economy, it morphed into a cash cow for the cadre of corrupt politicians that have controlled the country’s levers of power for the past quarter century. The Petrocaribe...
by Bob Barr | Jul 10, 2019 | Uncategorized |
Townhall.comMost parents know negotiations with toddlers are less an artful debate than a war of attrition. Toddlers make their demands, and failing to immediately get their way, throw a tantrum until the parent either relents or punishment ensues. This, of course, is reflective of basic childhood development; their reasoning skills have not had a chance to mature, and the tantrum tactic is all they know. Parents face similar circumstances several years later with teenagers coping with raging hormones.In this still new 21st Century, our country faces a new challenge – confronting an emerging breed of adult whiners who are simply raging.Over the last month, the United States women’s national soccer team battled through the FIFA World Cup to triumph over the Netherlands last Sunday. Largely overshadowing this impressive athletic victory, however, was the team’s disgraceful conduct off the field; most notably that of its co-captain, Megan Rapinoe.Rapinoe first ignited a national firestorm by stating publicly and gratuitously early in the tournament that she was “not going to the f***ing White House” if the team won the World Cup. Rapinoe tossed more fuel on the fire when, after the team’s final victory, she pointedly dropped and stepped onto the American flag rather than hold it aloft as has become the custom for victors in such international tournaments.By pushing herself into the limelight on the World Cup stage, Rapinoe has become the newest anti-Trump hero in a movement always on the prowl for new champions. Far from achieving notoriety based on activities or ideas of substance, Rapinoe joins a growing list of egomaniacal celebrities who consider a moment in the national (or international) spotlight simply an opportunity...
by Bob Barr | Jul 8, 2019 | Uncategorized |
The Daily CallerUnlike many of the pieces of legislation I considered as a member of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, the joint resolution I and 419 of my then-colleagues voted for on Sept. 14, 2001, was short and straight-forward. The authorization for the use of military force (AUMF), signed into law four days later by President George W. Bush, was limited in time and scope. It allowed the United States to take military action against those individuals, governments and organizations responsible for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.That goal was accomplished long ago. Yet here we are, 18 years later, and that single authorizing paragraph is once again being considered as legal justification for using American armed forces; this time possibly against Iran.The dogged longevity of the AUMF is a towering example of how, in this 21st century, the Congress largely has abdicated any responsibility to determine our nation’s conduct of international affairs, especially when those actions involve matters of national security and the military.While Congress may from time to time become quite vocal in critiquing a president’s handling of national security matters, when push comes to shove, members of both houses of the Congress fall largely silent; and in so doing, permit the president to engage our nation’s armed forces based on the flimsiest of legal authority, if any.The AUMF was considered and passed by the Congress in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. It was unquestionably justified by the horrendous terror attacks on that date. Specifically, the Resolution authorized the president to use whatever means he deemed necessary, including military force, “against those nations,...
by Bob Barr | Jul 3, 2019 | Townhall Article |
Townhall.comThere was a time when America’s big city mayors were real leaders. While few of them we so arrogant as to claim the title of “America’s Mayor” as did Rudy Giuliani, as a breed they exemplified the “take charge,” “get it done” attitude that voters respected and appreciated. Now, in the Snowflake Era that is seeing our country’s college campuses turn into adult day care centers, a number of elected mayors have transitioned to timid, “touchy-feely” office holders afraid to take bold action to protect their citizens and the institutions within their jurisdictions. Portland, Oregon’s Ted Wheeler personifies this new breed of Snowflake Mayors.Wheeler’s timidity to respond to violence by Antifa thugs last weekend, sent conservative reporter Andy Ngo to the hospital with potentially permanent brain injury.Not surprisingly, Antifa gangs in Portland, and in Berkeley, California and elsewhere, are responding to the fecklessness of officials like Wheeler, and are becoming increasingly bold and more violent in their activities. And why not? Law enforcement under the command of officials like Wheeler are ordered to stand aside, “exercise restraint,” and allow Antifa gangs to work their will; especially against conservative speakers and organizations.Perhaps the only surprise in all this is that Wheeler appears so clueless about how the real world operates, that he was surprised by last weekend’s violence in the city he is supposed to lead. The Mayor turned to Twitter to express his surprise that “some” people disrespected Portland’s status as a “beacon of free speech,” when an Antifa gang beat up Ngo, who was simply covering events as a bona fide journalist.Of course, there was nothing new or surprising about...
