Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr Enters Race As Libertarian Hopeful

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Just when some pundits were saying the presidential race was boiling down to Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ), former Republican Rep. Bob Barr declared on Monday that he was entering the fray as a Libertarian hopeful.

"I will be a candidate for the presidency of the United States, and it is precisely to give the American people a voice, to give them a meaningful choice," Barr is quoted by Fox as saying in a press conference in Washington.

Barr, who served as representative of Georgia's 7th district from 1995 to 203, declared himself the true choice for conservative voters and said of McCain, "There's not a great deal of substance there in terms of a commitment to cutting the size of government," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Despite being a long-shot candidate for the White House, Barr has a great chance of gaining the Libertarian nomination when the party holds its convention late this month. But whether or not he does, observers are saying that his campaign could hurt McCain, a maverick Republican who relied on strong support among independents and crossover Democrats during the primary season.