PRESS
RELEASES
from
Buddy
Roemer
for President
For Immediate Release
May 18, 2012 |
Contact: Carlos
Sierra
|
Gov. Roemer's
Statement on Americans Elect
Baton Rouge, LA –Governor Buddy Roemer issued the following statement
concerning the conclusion of the Americans Elect nomination
process:
I am disappointed in the decision of
Americans Elect to discontinue their online nominating process. As in
any new process, Americans Elect's procedure was ripe with difficulty
related to access, validation and security issues. This is not
unexpected, but I thank them for their effort at choice and reform.
I am taking the next few days to review with supporters how best to
proceed from here. A political system corrupted by special interest
money and a Party duopoly addicted to that same money demands reform.
We aim to figure out the best way to deliver the message and highlight
examples which best prove this point.
A great nation in trouble deserves leadership with two clear,
compatible goals: jobs and justice.
It begins with reform.
I am not willing to let the issue of reform die with Americans Elect.
Our Republic needs it now more than ever.
_______________________
Governor
Buddy Roemer is a four-term Congressman and former Governor of
Louisiana. He is known for refusing PAC and special interest money,
implementing campaign finance reform, turning around Louisiana’s
failing economy and cutting the state’s unemployment rate in half in
just four years. His website is www.BuddyRoemer.com
###
May 31 EMAIL Governor Charles
“Buddy” Roemer Suspends Campaign
Fellow Reformers-
What a journey it has been. It seems like only yesterday Buddy was
standing in front of the Chinese Embassy demanding Fair Trade, or
visiting Occupy Wall Street to protest the corruption that plagues our
nation’s capital and financial sector. We have come a long way –
together. Not a day goes by where we don’t think of the army of
reformers out there who helped make this campaign possible. You should
all be proud of the work you did. We will forever be grateful for it.
There will be many battles fought in the war to end the corruptive
influence of money in politics. We may be out for the battle of the
presidency, but as Buddy says below, “we are just getting started.”
Thank you,
Carlos Sierra
Campaign Manager
For Immediate Release
May 31, 2012 |
Contact: Carlos
Sierra
|
Governor Charles “Buddy” Roemer Suspends Campaign
Baton Rouge, LA –Governor Buddy
Roemer issued the following statement on the suspension of his
Presidential Campaign:
Today, I am no longer a candidate for
President of the United States.
After 17 months of a wonderful campaign, the lack of ballot access in
all 50 states makes the quest impossible for now.
I want to thank my family, particularly my wife Scarlett, and my three
children Caroline, Chas, and Dakota. I’d also like to thank my three
sisters, Margaret, Melinda, Melanie, and my brother Danny for all of
their efforts.
I could not have done this without the guidance and brilliance of my
campaign manager, Carlos Sierra of El Paso, and without the new media
expertise of Jill Sherman and Morgan Martinez, the volunteer efforts of
Joshua Chavers, the start-up assistance of a great leader, Skardon
Baker of Los Angeles, the courage of my New England director, Jim
Knowlton of Worchester, and the scheduling patience of William Pierce
of Rhode Island.
A special thank you to Bill Klotz of Louisiana who never faltered— not
once. My kitchen cabinet included Taunton Melville of Louisiana, Len
Sanderson of DC, Larry Lessig of Massachusetts, Dennis Stine of
Louisiana, Brian Silver of California, and Mark McKinnon of Texas.
And to the thousands of volunteers
from Alaska to Florida, from Puerto Rico to California, from New
Hampshire to Texas: you made the journey worthwhile,
particularly since you gave so generously of your time and energy.
We ran like we would serve – Free to Lead. To protect that
freedom, we fully disclosed every contribution. We accepted no
contributions above $100. We accepted no PAC money, no Super PAC money,
no corporate money, and no lobbyist money.
We assumed no debt and we end this campaign with money in the bank.
Once again, we ran like we intended to serve.
We received contributions averaging less
than $50 each from thousands and thousands of Democrats, Republicans
and Independents in all 50 states.
We were not included in a single one of the 23 nationally televised GOP
debates, and yet received 7% of the popular vote in a national poll
conducted just a few weeks ago. My team was amazing and I thank you.
America is a nation at risk. Job prospects are inadequate. Trade is
neither smart nor fair. The tax code is unreadable and, I say,
un-American. The budget is unsustainable. Small business must be
re-vitalized. Energy has no strategy. Healthcare is not healthy. Banks
are still too big to fail, and comprehensive immigration reform is a
fantasy.
We can turn all these problems into opportunities, but we must begin
our battle with the special interests who are content with the status
quo.
They don’t want change.
They spend billions to keep their control. They own our political
system. They bought it with their fundraisers for incumbents, and with
jobs for the already powerful. They bought it with special favors and
inside information for those who can return the gesture in amendments
and legislation and earmarks. They finance the elections. They hire the
politicians upon their retirement.
And
they
own
the
two major political parties. It’s un-democratic and it’s
simply un-American.
Look at the facts.
98% of the
electorate does not give a penny to presidential or congressional
campaigns. The money comes from Wall Street banks, corporate
PACs, the labor union coffers, insurance and pharmaceutical companies,
Big Oil, military defense contractors, miscellaneous PACs, Super PACs
and the lobbyists. The money comes from all of these special interests,
and what do they get in return? “Too big to fail” and the death of
Glass-Steagall, insurance monopolies, pharmaceutical profit protection,
no-bid contracts, $675 hammers for the military, earmarks, $5.1 billion
in profits and pay no federal income taxes, subsidies for the
wealthiest corporations, and all of the big givers first in line for
any perks or favors.
The special interests give the money
and they get a stacked deck in return. And what do we get? We get
gridlock, corruption, a do-nothing Washington, and a Congress almost
certain to be re-elected year after year.
Although there is a cry for action on many critical issues, we have to
start with the issue that deals with the control of the system:
campaign finance reform. If we are to become a practicing republic
again, we must end the addiction to special interest money.
Reform must be the first issue.
As I am no longer a candidate for president, I am free to pledge a good
portion of the rest of my life to enacting campaign reform in the halls
of Congress and the corridors of the White House. Instead of using my
right to the floor of Congress to lobby for corporate clients, I will
lobby for the American people who want reform.
It might require a new organization to get this done, but regardless,
we will highlight corruption and its effects on policy and public
perception, suggest solutions, build coalitions, and support the
advocates of our ideas or those who have better ones.
This struggle will not be easy. The enemies of reform are powerful and
entrenched, but this is a struggle that America must win. The key is to
realize that I cannot beat them alone. This will take a team effort.
We must work together, setting aside
inevitable differences on other issues in order to build a reform team. We
must
dare
to
look at a total reform package including contribution
reform, reapportionment reform, and term-limit reform. I cannot do this
alone. True and thorough reform will not occur solely as a “me” effort.
This must be a “we” effort.
We must have the spirit to ask all political parties to join with us in
this effort. To be successful, this endeavor must cross party lines. In
truth, the two major parties are addicted to special interests and
corporate money. I have said it many times: they are joined at the
billfold. The two parties have been graveyards of reform too often in
the past. They don’t want reform. They only want victory and reelection.
You already know this to be true. The latest national polling shows
that 42% of the electorate now classify themselves as “independent,”
with both major parties shrinking in size, scope, and power.
Join with us. Be unafraid.
We’ll put
a new organization together and will use the power of the people and
new media unlike any organization has ever done with a political goal.
We will ask other organizations and associations to join with us in
building this team of reformers. We will re-energize our republic.
Again, thank you for standing with me.
Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Together, we will continue to reform
our country and make America great once again. We are just getting
started.
_______________________
Governor Buddy Roemer is a four-term Congressman and former Governor of
Louisiana. He is known for refusing PAC and special interest money,
implementing campaign finance reform, turning around Louisiana’s
failing economy and cutting the state’s unemployment rate in half in
just four years. His website is www.BuddyRoemer.com
###