Barr was asked during the program whether there is a way to balance the rights of private citizens and the need for the government to fight terrorism. This, after Barr accused the president and defense agencies of essentially duping Congress into granting them broad new powers to listen to Americans’ private conversations without establishing a link to terrorism.

Afterward, Barr said he did not tout his own campaign during his speech because the Rotary Club is not a political organization and that he agreed to speak Wednesday before he announced his bid for the presidency.

... former GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee called libertarianism "not an American message," stating libertarianism was a "soulless type of economic conservatism" and a threat to Republicanism. In response, Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis issued the following statement:

"Huckabee is right that Libertarianism is a threat to Republicanism. The Republican Party, with the help of people like Sen. John McCain, has done nothing but increase the scope and power of government while throwing fiscal responsibility to the wind. It's the 'compassionate conservatism' touted by people like Huckabee, McCain and President Bush that has caused a soaring national debt and a society where prisons are overflowing because of Republican 'compassion.' Libertarianism is unquestionably the American message because libertarianism is the only political message that empowers the American people by giving them more control over their lives and their wallets. Huckabee proves once again that there is very little difference in the messages of Republicans and Democrats, and shows that McCain and Obama might as well be running in the same political party."

CAVUTO: All right, you know the argument against you, Governor — or, Congressman, that is that you are going to siphon votes away from John McCain. What do you say?

BARR: Not so.

I cannot think of any reason why somebody who is predisposed to vote for John McCain, a big-government Republican, would choose instead to switch from John McCain to Bob Barr, a small-government Libertarian. It would make no sense.

Read the rest of the transcript and view the video here.