Today I interviewed 9/11 skeptic Kevin Barrett, who plans to run against U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse and Republican candidate Paul Stark, an Eau Claire-area homebuilder.

I asked Barrett about controversy in the Libertarian Party about his candidacy:

"The majority of them seem to favor it. There is a minority that is upset about it because I’m known for my participation in the search for the truth about 9/11 and the investigation, and that’s a very emotional issue, so there are a few people who are very unhappy that I’m associated with their party. But the majority is very much in favor, I think.

There may actually be a Libertarian primary, because the people who are objecting to it are being told, well, find another candidate. It would be great. I would love to travel around this district debating issues with another Libertarian candidate."

I asked if Tomah mayor and Libertarian Ed Thompson might run against him.

"If Ed Thompson runs against me, I’ll vote for Ed. He’s a supporter of mine. He’s been on my radio show a number of times. He actually came out and supoprted me when I was being attacked by the legislators and the governor.

He’s a big reason I’m running as a Libertarian. I’m also hoping Jesse Ventura will run for president as a Libertarian. He’s talked about that and we’ll know next month. He’s come out strongly in favor of the new investigation of 9/11 and he’s also talked about the obvious controlled demolition of the World Trade Center."

I asked Barrett about his top issues in the race.

"My top issue is the war on the economy. 9/11 simply accelerated the war on our economy that’s been going on for a long time. The military industrial complex has been waging war on the economy of the United States and the economy of Wisconsin, especially, since the national security state was created in 1947.

Wisconsin’s economy loses a vast amount of money every year in terms of military taxes that go to other states to pay people in other states to build fancy new ways of mass murdering people. Wisconsin has very little military industry so we are just about the biggest net loser in the USA on military spending.

The people of Wisconsin need to wake up and demand that we defend our borders rather than trying to pollute the world."

I asked how he would you characterize Ron Kind’s position on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan?

"I think Ron Kind’s voted for funding the war repeatedly. He also has voted for Patriot Act 2, and he voted for the Thought Crime Bill, HR 1955, which criminalizes thought.

He’s totally on board with doubling military spending after 9/11 and stealing all that money from the people of Wisconsin. He’s totally on board with these illegal, criminal wars of aggression. He arguabley could be tried for war crimes simply for voting in favor of illegal wars of aggression. He has no business in Congress.

He was even elected in 2006 to end the war, as were the other Democrats. They have failed us so we need to tell them, ‘you’re fired.’” He and the other Democrats and Republicans need to be fired, and many of them arguably put on trial for treason and crimes against humanity."

I asked him about Chip Denure, who ran against Kind as a Democrat in 2006.

"My brother knows him better than I do. I think I’ve spoken to him once. I hope Chip will help out and get on board. From what I hear, he’s a great guy. My brother used to live in Eau Claire and knew Chip and has great admiration for him."

I asked about other issues he cares about:

"There’s the war on the economy, and the correlaries of that are the war on the Constitution that has happened since 9/11.

They do tie in with the need to have a real investigation of 9/11.

I’m running on a save the Constitution platform. I think our country has drifted away from its Constitution, and we need to reestablish constitutional rule.

I asked for an example.

The most obvious one is it is the Congress and not the president that has the constitutional right to declare war. Not one drop of American blood can be shed in war without a declaration of war. Yet since World War II I forget exactly how many Americans, well over a million I believe, have died in these illegal acts of mass murder. They’re not wars, they’re illegal acts of mass murder.

Other examples would include the income tax. The income tax is profoundly unconstitutional and illegal and there’s a very strong legal argument that you don’t have to file."

I asked him if he files his taxes.

"I finally did. I quit filing several years ago when I learned about this. My wife kept badgering me (since we live in the Badger State I guess that’s OK) and finally this year she convinced me to catch up and file for all those back years, so we did. I wrote them a letter of protest, though, saying that I think this is all illegal and I’m going along with it because my wife insisted."

"Among the other issues I think are really important are I think we need to end the prison industrial complex. Right now the US is locking up far, far more people than any other nation, and we’re spending vast amounts of the taxpayers money to do it. We need to get our sentencing and our laws and practices in line with other countries and end drug prohibition. This could easily save us three-quarters of what we spend on prisons right now."

I asked if that wouldn't have other social costs.

"No. It would have great social benefits, treating drug problems as medical problems rather than criminal problems will greatly reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs.

I’m running as a New Libertarian. The Libertarian Party has gotten into a rut. There are really a bunch of good people with good ideals, but some of them carry it too far.

So as a New Libertarian, I’m arguing, for instance, we need to strengthen Social Security rather than privatize it. Also, I’m in favor of single-payer health care because I’m a fiscal conservative and it costs half as much.

I’m not saying like some Libertarians might, just legalize drugs and to heck with everybody and let them die in the street. I think we do need to take that vast amount of money that’s building prisons for them and trying them in court, and put some of that money into treatment."

I asked his thoughts on agriculture policy, something Ron Kind has been doing a lot of work on.

"Actually from what I’ve seen, I support Ron Kind’s position on agriculture policy. I haven’t seen any real problems there, although I’d add that I would like to see people exploring the possibility of growing hemp, possibly for biofuels among its many other uses.

Wisconsin used to be the leading hemp producer in the country, and then it was outlawed, primarily to help the chemical and paper industry, the pulp-forest paper industry, because you can produce four times as much paper with much higher quality per acre on hemp as you can with wood.

I think Ron Kind’s otherwise acceptable agricultural policies could be improved by an effort to bring back hemp for Wisconsin farmers."

I asked about the listening session Ron Kind is holding in Sparta on Monday that he plans to attend.

"I’m one of his constituents, as well as a challenger, so I do hope to listen to what he has to say. And when he’s taking questions I intend to ask him a couple of hard questions.

I talked to him about 9/11 three years ago. I gave him a copy of David Griffin’s book "The 9/11 Commission Report, Omissions and Distortions." He accepted it and said he would look into it. Yet, here he is still completely on board with this bogus war on terror and willing to live with high treason and mass murder and undending wars and the loss of our Constitution. I’ve given him three years and now it’s time to come after him."

I asked him about his background. He said he was born in Madison in 1959.

"My grandfather was the legendary principal and football coach at East High School. My dad is a two-time Olympic medalist, including a gold medal, in sailboat racing. I have devoted my life mainly to studying the humanities, studying and teaching the humanities, language and literature. My PhD is in African languages and literature with a focus on Arabic and Islamic studies.

I’m currently a radio host. I have four radio shows.

Barrett said he's married with two children, and his wife is a librarian.

"The campaign will be part of their home schooling. I’m actually the main homeschool parent right now, taking over from my wife in the past year or two."

Barrett said he doesn't know much about Paul Stark, the Republican candidate, who supports the "Fair Tax," which would replace the federal income tax with a flat consumption tax.

"I have mixed feelings on that. I think the income tax is illegal, rather unconstitutional. But I would be in favor of a consitutional amendment that would make the income tax what it was originally supposed to be, which is a tax only on wealthy people and corporations, not on ordinary people. But I’m opposed to a national sales tax. Sales taxes are the most regressive taxes around. They hit the poorest peopel the hardest and they don’t touch the richest people. I believe in fair taxation, even though I believe we should lower taxes. I agree with the Libertarians and Republicans we need to lower taxes, but we do need to finance some government activities and it should be the people that can afford to pay, and who are getting the majority of benefits of the government, who should pay for it.”