GOP candidate Buddy Roemer backs "Occupy Wall Street"
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."
