PRESS RELEASE from Roemer 2012 Exploratory Committee
CONTACT: Anne Schroeder Mullins
Thursday, March 3, 2011

FORMER LOUISIANA GOVERNOR CHARLES “BUDDY” ROEMER ANNOUNCES PRESIDENTIAL EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE; SAYS COURAGE TO ADDRESS AMERICA’S FISCAL CRISIS WILL REQUIRE A PRESIDENT FREE FROM SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY

BATON ROUGE, LA - Former Louisiana Governor Charles “Buddy” Roemer today announced the formation of a 2012 Presidential Exploratory Committee for the Republican nomination and pledged he would not take any PAC and special interest money, will cap all donations at $100 per person, and will report all names and addresses of givers, although not required for small donors under the current law.   

“Electability should not be discussed in terms of who can raise the most money, but rather who has the best ideas to raise America.   We can reform American politics and here is my pledge to help us start:  I will accept only contributions up to $100 per individual contributor.  No PAC or special interest money will be accepted.  Only individual contributions with a name and an address, and all will be reported although not required under the current law.  Today, I declare my independence from special interests, and I ask you to join my battle.  Reform will need to be embraced by ordinary Americans who are courageous enough to discuss how special interest money limits our President’s ability to make the tough decisions.  I ask you to join me at www.buddyroemer.com  and spread the word.  Tell your friends and family that a seasoned warrior against special interest money is thinking about running for President. Tell them that he is old enough to know what to do and young enough to get it done.  Tell them that he has been in business battles and political battles and is willing to stand up with you to confront America’s fiscal crisis,” said Governor Roemer.

 “Today, I am announcing the formation of Presidential Exploratory Committee.  I felt compelled to explore a potential candidacy for President of United States because I’ve never been more concerned about America’s future.   Our national debt is swallowing the promise of America, wrongly impacting our foreign policy, and robbing a generation of Americans of jobs and opportunity.  Washington, D.C. is not up to the task of leadership because it too has become indebted – indebted to special interest money.   At a time of national recession, Washington D.C. never had it so good.  Money has washed over it like a tsunami and drowned the voice of the people,” said Governor Roemer. 

“We have traded access in our democracy for guaranteed special interest outcomes.  This must stop.  Name a problem or an opportunity – tax reform, spending discipline, jobs creation, Wall Street bailout, defense appropriations – and then follow the money and reveal its tentacles.    Our political system, our decision-makers are indebted to all the wrong things – access money, fundraiser money, special interest money, bundled money, protection money – all of it corrupt and all of it making real change just a nice tag line in a speech,” said Governor Roemer.  

“I saw how ugly special interest money tried to stifle the voice of the people when I was Governor of Louisiana.   I have the political and personal scars to prove I am not afraid to challenge politics as usual.  I love America, but I detest how special interest money has taken over American politics.  To fix the financial crisis threatening our nation will require real leadership.  I am the only person considering running for President who has been a Congressman, a Governor, a member of both parties, and a small business owner.  I appreciate the enormity of what we face, but I am not afraid of the fight and my record proves it,” said Governor Roemer.

“If we are going to have real change in America, we need a President free to lead:

·         Free to ask Congress to declare their independence from the special interest money and big funders.
·         Free to have spending and tax revenue balance and reduce government to its proper size. 
·         Free to build a team to strengthen America economically, competitively, and militarily.
·         Free to get the claws of tort lawyers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and insurance companies out of healthcare reform.
·         Free to rewrite the tax code within a year to yield a simpler, clearer, and fairer tax system to help every American and every small business owner.
·         Free to strive for energy independence by the end of this decade, creating millions of new jobs, and bringing our Marines home from “oil” duty.
·         Free to enforce a level playing field in international trade, especially for small businesses that don’t get a fair shot.

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About Governor Charles “Buddy” Roemer
Governor Roemer served four terms in the United States Congress from 1981 – 1988 as a conservative Democrat who often broke ranks with his party to vote with President Reagan, and was Louisiana Governor from 1988-1992 as both a Democrat and Republican.  During his tenure in the Governor’s office, unemployment in the state dropped by approximately half, the state budget was balanced all years despite inheriting a huge deficit, teacher pay was linked to performance, education accountability standards were enacted, government unions were challenged, and sweeping campaign finance reform legislation was passed.  Since leaving public office, Governor Roemer has been involved in a number of business ventures.  Most recently, he served as the founder, CEO, and President of Business First Bank, a small business community bank with approximately $650 million in assets that took no bailout money from the federal government.  Governor Roemer lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his wife Scarlett, and is the father of three children.  He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.    For further information, visit www.buddyroemer.com    Also, you can visit him at www.facebook.com/buddyroemer, www.twitter.com/buddyroemer, and www.youtube.com/buddyroemer



DRAFT OF THE PRESS RELEASE that appeared on the website on the evening March 2, 2011

Former Louisiana Governor Charles "Buddy" Roemer Announces Presidential Exploratory Committee; Says Courage to Address America's Fiscal Crisis Will Require A President Free From Special Interest Money

BATON ROUGE, LA - Former Louisiana Governor Charles "Buddy" Roemer today announced the formation of a 2012 Presidential Exploratory Committee for the Republican nomination and pledged he would not take any PAC and special interest money, will cap all donations at $100 per person, and will report all names and addresses of givers, although not required for small donors under the current law.

"Today, I am announcing the formation of Presidential Exploratory Committee. I felt compelled to explore a potential candidacy for President of United States because I've never been more concerned about the future of our representative democracy. Our national debt is swallowing the promise of America, wrongly impacting our foreign policy, and robbing a generation of Americans of jobs and opportunity. Washington, D.C. is not up to the task of leadership because it too has become indebted – indebted to special interest money. At a time of national recession, Washington D.C. never had it so good. Money has washed over it like a tsunami and drowned the voice of the people," said Governor Roemer.

"Electability should not be discussed in terms of who can raise the most money, but rather who has the best ideas to raise America. We can reform American politics and here is my pledge to help us start: I will accept only contributions up to $100 per individual contributor. No PAC or special interest money will be accepted. Only individual contributions with a name and an address, and all will be reported although not required under the current law. Today, I declare my independence from moneyed special interests, and I ask you to join my battle. Reform will need to be embraced by ordinary Americans who are courageous enough to have an honest discussion about how special interest money limits our President's ability to make the tough decisions. I ask you to join me at www.buddyroemer.com and spread the word. Tell your friends and family that a seasoned warrior against the special interest money is thinking about running for President. Tell them that he is old enough to know what to do and young enough to get it done. Tell them that he has been in business battles and political battles and is willing to stand up with you to confront America's fiscal crisis," said Governor Roemer.

Governor Roemer also outlined policy themes he will discuss during this exploratory phase: "Special interest money has taken control of the key policy issues facing our nation. It is time to be brutally honest. If we pass a health care bill that does not address frivolous medical lawsuits, fails to make insurance companies compete or provide real choice to our citizens, has someone bought too much access? If we pass a financial reform bill that does not tackle too big to fail, harmful derivatives that shifts the risks of Wall Street's gambles to Main Street taxpayers, or fix the problems at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have we really addressed the causes of our financial system's collapse? If we brag about cutting spending, while we fear touching entitlements for fear of special interest retribution, can we really put America's financial house back in order? We have traded access in the political system for guaranteed special interest outcomes. This must stop. Name a problem or an opportunity – tax reform, spending discipline, jobs creation, Wall Street bailout, defense appropriations – and then follow the money and reveal its tentacles. Our political system, our decision-makers are indebted to all the wrong things -- access money, fundraiser money, special interest money, bundled money, protection money -- all of it corrupt and all of it making real change just a nice tag line in a speech," said Governor Roemer.

"I saw what special interest money can do to the voice of the people when I was Governor of Louisiana, and I have the political and personal scars to prove I am not afraid to challenge politics as usual. I love America, but I detest what special interest money has done to American politics. To fix the financial crisis threatening our nation will require real leadership. I am the only person considering running for President who has been a Congressman, a Governor, a member of both parties, and a small business owner. I appreciate the enormity of what we face, but I am not afraid of the fight," said Governor Roemer.

"If we are going to have real change in America, we need a President free to lead: