Libertarian Party

Congress passed the $700 billion Wall Street bailout on Friday, supported by both Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. The U.S. stock market promptly dropped. Over the weekend the financial crisis threatened European banks, and stock prices across Asia and Europe tanked.

So much for the argument that the bailout was necessary to calm the markets.

“It didn’t take much to buy a House vote, only about $130 billion in so-called sweeteners,” says Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president, referring to the 58 members of Congress who changed their vote from 'no' to 'yes' in support of the bailout bill.  “So now the House has joined the Senate in taking $700 billion-plus worth of Main Street’s money to bail-out Wall Street. Congress spent money it doesn’t have to get reluctant members to vote even more money that they don’t have."

"Sen. John McCain claims he can provide leadership, but he panicked in the face of cries that the sky is falling from Wall Street investors who made bad investments, and the taxpayers are going to pay over $700 billion for his lack of leadership," says Libertarian Party Presidential Nominee Bob Barr. 

"Sen. McCain claims he will change Washington by eliminating 'earmarks', but he just voted for more than $103 billion dollars of bold-faced earmarks," says Barr.