. >> you're listening to the commonwealth california radio program and our guest today is bob barr former congressman and former libertarian party candidate for president who is discussing his concerns about the growth of federal government and what he says are the related threats to individual liberties. let's talk a little bit about the current state and the current climate in the congress and in the government. there are words every minute we're hearing the word filibuster being thrown out. you have evan bayh who just announced his retirement from what many considered a very promising political career saying that he felt government was broken and there was no hope. are you getting to the point where you yourself see very little hope? >> i -- one of the most difficult things i have to do george every day when i wake up is to remind myself there is hope. i think

. >> you are listening to the commonwealth club of california radio program and our guest is bob barr, former libertarian candidate for president. there are some questions about you and your conversion from being a republican to being a libertarian. why that happened, what you left behind. >> i left behind in 2006, when i was invited to and gladly accepted an invitation to join the libertarian party is a member of its national committee what i left behind was a party that bore no relationship to do the party that i had been a member of for many years before that. a party that not only does not object to a president of its party violating or appearing to violate the law and decimating the civil liberties of the citizenry, but applauds it, is a party to me that has lost its roots, does not care for the constitution and certainly does not practice what it preaches. i certainly have very serious concerns and objections to the manner in which george w. bush had expanded federal spending, that it was really the former president and his administration , the republican administration, the dep

radio, television and the internet. this meeting of the commonwealth club of california, the place where you are in the know, is adjourned. >> thank you very much. >> enjoyed that. great program. please come back again. >> excellent questions. probably got only to 10%. >> got -- good audience there. >> enjoyed it. thank you. we'll do it again. thank you very much. >> the minute it that the wall street firms were in the business of harvesting middle class and lower middle class americans for their home equity value, and making loans to them against it, there was a natural risk of abuse. >> former president jimmy carter and former senator howard baker recently took part in a forum discussing how bipartisanship can be fostered in the current political climate. from the jimmy carter presidential library in atlanta, this is about 40 minutes. good morning everybody i want to welcome you here. please join me in welcoming jay hakes, and president and mrs. jimmy carter and our special guest, senator howard baker. [applause] [applause]. >> [inaudible] [laughter] >> as tony said i'm jay hakes the director of the carter presidential library and would like to welcome you here today, our t