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.
Source: Buddy
Roemer 2012
Presidential
Committee
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