GOP candidate Buddy Roemer backs "Occupy Wall Street"

Former Louisiana Gov. Charles 'Buddy' Roemer III.

/ Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Liberals aren't the only ones supporting "Occupy Wall Street."

Little-known Republican presidential candidate Buddy Roemer announced this weekend that he, too, will be joining in on the protests.

Roemer, a former Louisiana governor (and a former Democrat) announced his commitment to the movement via YouTube, arguing in a statement that "money and politics has created institutional corruption" in America and that "both parties are guilty of taking the big check and are bought by Wall Street."

"It is Main Street that is being foreclosed on and it is Main Street that is suffering while the...greed of Wall Street continues to hurt the middle class. Too big to fail banks have only gotten bigger thanks to government bailouts," says Roemer. "And as president I will end the corporate tax loopholes that un-American corporations take advantage of only to ship our best jobs overseas."

Thousands of Americans have gathered in downtown Manhattan and across the country over the last several weeks to "Occupy Wall Street" in protest of what they see as greed, corruption, and economic inequality in the U.S.

The demonstrations started off as a relatively unheralded effort by a couple hundred mostly young people, but they have recently gained the support of a diverse group of unions - and many see growing support for "OWS" as evidence of its potential as a burgeoning movement.

Roemer, who touts his Harvard M.B.A. on his website, has campaigned on an anti-special interest platform, and does not accept money from political action committees (PACs) or donations of more than $100.

The donation page of his website offers that "When we break the strangle-hold of special interest money on Washington, D.C., together we can tackle America's fiscal crisis, streamline government, and restore opportunity and hope for our citizens."

Roemer polled at below one percent support in a recent WMUR/UNH Granite State Poll, and has never participated in a Republican presidential debate.

But the candidate has maintained an active presence on Twitter during his participation with the "Occupy Wall Street" protests.

"We've become a nation of diminished prospects. Our government is now controlled by special interest money. It's no wonder America is angry," Roemer said in a recent Tweet.

He's also criticizing fellow GOP candidate Herman Cain - a dark horse candidate himself - for accusing Wall Street protesters of being jealous and playing the "victim card."

"Herman Cain, who criticized the young people as un-American, ought to rethink it," Roemer said in his video statement. "You're wrong, Herman - this is as American as a civil rights march. This is as American as a revolution. The young people are speaking. We ought to listen."

[Truth_For_Dinner]

Sure, I agree that there are candidates in both parties that are puppets of the Wall Street puppet masters, but the GOP is obviously a wholly owned subsidiary of Wall Street. Still, how will we get rid of the puppets if we don't first disable the puppet masters ability to pull the strings?

[hillarynow]

Romney is not the answer, neither is no class fat slob Christie. Republicans are all the same in the end, cut taxes for the wealthy, deregulate and make America unsafe, ship jobs overseas, eliminate benefits for the poor and middle classes, poison the environment, start wars we can't afford, etc etc etc.. they all believe in the same vision, whether Mormon or Christian doesn't matter. No, the only thing President Barack Obama is guilty of is reaching out to these greedy, obnoxious, foul minded, pinhead Republicans who never planned to work with him from day one. The President finally sees them for the self serving obstructionists these wealthy racist Republicans are. He finally realizes you cannot work with evil men whose only goal is to destroy him and America as well. Therefore the only answer is to eliminate all Republicans from Washington on election day. Vote all Democrat and give the President a real majority he can work with so he can advance his bills, like this seriously needed jobs bill, and save America from ruin.

[Coffee-1]

We the people have to pull together to stop the big business greed and power form running the country. Generalization bias and prejudice make it impossible to get anything done. If anyone in the center or just normal we have bias form both sides and no label and get jabbed fro both sides. Independents from the mindless extremest on both sides have no ax to grind and are free to think for themselves.

Buddy Roemer has held office in both parties as he is not out in left or right field. He can't run on the left this year, that slot is filled by a guy raising a billion dollar campaign full of money that ain't coming from working folk like me, just trying to make ends met. In this economy raising a billion dollars to land a job is obscene.

Washington is for sale on both sides. Those Super PAC moneys are not the voice of the people but the power of the big bucks. By the way the people of this country are to often getting their views from the spin doctors looking for their piece of the pie.

It is time we dump the left / right band wagons, have open minds, and look for solutions that will change the established way our dysfunctional government isn't working for us....

[tsigili]

That just means he is really a welfare party Democrat.

[Zann-Zel]

Well ONE person's listening! : )

[AmeicanCustom]

Left wingers, please take ole Buddy away from the GOP and back home to the Dems where he belongs.
LOL
Total Loser!

[davidd5063]

I swap him straight up for Ben Nelson and I'll throw in a warm 6-pack of ****.

[RobAla]

"Herman Cain, who criticized the young people as un-American, ought to rethink it," Roemer said in his video statement. "You're wrong, Herman - this is as American as a civil rights march. This is as American as a revolution. The young people are speaking. We ought to listen.

Cain is right, and Roemer is a nutcase. It is not a civil right to be entitled to the money that someone else has earned. Redistribution of wealth is a Marxist idea that was never based on any concept of human nature.

[noloyalisti]

Wow, finally a smart Republicon who stands for freedom and democracy and not only the Top 1%. Maybe we should put him in a zoo that is so rare.

[noloyalisti]

He knows that any politician that does not come out for the Occupy Together 99% of Americans will be toast in 2012.

[slatep]

If this man is telling the truth, means what he says and is saying what he means; I'd vote for him.

Cain is directing his criticism at young people.

Apparently he has completely forgotten that today's young people are tomorrows leaders.

None of the politicans seem to be able to recognize that these protests are directed at them.

They are so far out of touch and so smug they can not believe anybody would say anything against them personally; so; therefore the protesters have to be talking about somebody else.

[retw-m]

What a RINO pandering for any votes he can get.
Total loser

[jimbom121]

Imagine a GOPer not siding with the millionaires

[retm-w]

chevy

Something you and your party don't do, treat all Americans as equal.