Buddy Roemer: My GOP rivals are "bought and sold"

Republican presidential candidate Buddy Roemer - the former governor of Louisiana and four-term congressman - railed against a presidential primary process that has largely frozen him out on Friday, telling Hotsheet that lawmakers from both parties are "bought and sold."

"I see Washington, D.C., as the Capitol of corruption," said Roemer, who is not allowing anyone to donate more than $100 to his campaign in order to keep from being indebted to special interests. "...Big checks are first in line. The big corporations in American finance these presidential candidates."

You can watch the interview in full above. In it, Roemer criticized both President Obama and his Republican rivals for the nomination being "desperate for the money" that special interests offer in exchange for influence.

"They all take the big checks, they all have SuperPACs, and they're all beholden to some special interest," he said. "This country will never be strong again... unless we break the cycle."

"Let's have a leader free to lead," added Roemer.

To reform the campaign finance process, Roemer called for full disclosure of campaign contributions, a limit on PAC contributions to what can be given to an individual, the elimination of Super PACs and a ban on lobbyists donating to candidates.

Roemer, a former Democrat who has embraced the "Occupy" movement, also suggested Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein should be in jail - along with members of Congress.

"Well he lied to Congress," Roemer said of Blankfein. "Absolutely he ought to be held accountable. Just like the global marketing with Jon Corzine. Just like congressmen who get special deals and have conflicts of interest. They sent Martha Stewart to jail, didn't they, for insider trading? What about the 15 congressmen that have been doing it? Are they going to go to jail?"

"I'll tell you right now - they're not," he continued. "Washington is corrupt. It's for the powerful and the elite...wake up America - they've stolen your government."

Roemer said he has a chance to win the nomination despite being largely frozen out of the process if one million Americans make donations of up to $100 to his campaign and encouraged potential backers to visit his website.

"I am an American, and I'm running for president, and I think I have that right, and the big boys have shut me out," he said. "And I ask you a question: Why?"