Bob Barr

After a judge ruled Monday that Libertarian candidate for president Bob Barr could stay on the ballot in Pennsylvania, the former congressman's campaign spokesman said Barack Obama and John McCain should take notice, The Associated Press reports.

The Democratic and Republican nominees "will have to compete for the votes of Pennsylvania citizens instead of taking them for granted," Barr campaign manager Russell Verney.

In an interview with PolitickerPA.com in August, Barr said he expected to lure voters away from both major-party candidates.

"We're going to be able to pull from both ends of the political spectrum," he said.

In addition to showing U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) with a 5 point advantage (48 percent to 43 percent) over U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), today's TIME/CNN poll also suggests that Obama's chances in the Keystone State may be boosted by the presence of third-party candidates on the ballot.

PHILADELPHIA -- It was a pleasant surprise when former Congressman and Libertarian candidate for president Bob Barr took the stage at Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's Candidates Comedy Night on Tuesday eveninng.

Mixing some light campaign messaging with jabs at both major political parties, Barr turned out to be one of the funniest performers of the night.

Below is a full video of his performance: 

PHILADELPHIA - Many Republicans have been nervous about former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr's ability to take votes away from the GOP as the Libertarian Party's candidate for president.

But during a surprise appearance here Tuesday night, Barr told PolitickerPa.com that both parties should have reason to worry about him.

"There are a lot of groups in Pennsylvania that we'll reach," Barr said, counting hunters, libertarian-leaning Republican and Reagan Democrats among them.

"We're going to be able to pull from both ends of the political spectrum," Barr added after delivering a brief comedic routing at Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's Candidate Comedy Night.

GOP candidate for state Treasurer Tom Ellis went colonial for his turn at Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's Comedy NightPHILADELPHIA-There were jokes about John McCain's age. Jokes about Gov. Ed Rendell's robust figure. Jokes about Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's nerdy voice. And, oh, were there ever jokes about Vince Fumo's witness list.

And that was all before Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr made a surprise appearance.

It was one of the local political establishment's favorite nights here Tuesday night, as candidates for statewide races, Congressional races and down-ballot race joined a bevy of political insiders for Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's annual Candidates Comedy Night. In its 18th year, the fundraiser for a children's charity put more than a dozen political candidates on stage, not to campaign, but to make people laugh.

"The candidates before me tonight are not professional comics," Bykofsky warned his audience before U.S. Rep. Bob Brady opened the show. "They will prove that in a moment."

Concerned that he could pull votes from U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a leading state Republican is trying to have Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr removed from the ballot in Pennsylvania, The Associated Press reports.

Barr, a former Republican Congressman, is expected by some to hurt McCain in the general election by drawing away disenchanted conservative voters, especially in Barr's home state of Georgia.

In a petition filed in Commonwealth Court Monday, the Cumberland County GOP chairman alleged that the Libertarians misled people who signed their ballot petitions by listing Rochelle Etzel of Clarion County as the presidential candidate even after the national party picked Barr at its convention in May.

The Libertarian Party formally substituted Barr's name on the Pennsylvania ballot just last week, The AP reports.