Buddy Blasts Away on FOX News

Even with this past week's announcements of candidacy (see Gingrich and Paul) and non-participation (see Huckabee) in the 2012 GOP presidential primary, former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer wouldn't commit to a formal run for office but he sure sounded like a candidate during a Sunday morning appearance on FOX News.

"I am not known yet. But when I get through in New Hampshire, and South Carolina and Iowa, and going across this country, I think we'll have a chance to turn this country around," Roemer told FOX News anchor Eric Shawn.

Roemer has filed the paperwork for an exploratory committee and has quietly popped up in the early decision states but hasn't made much inroads on public opinion polls or FOX News graphics. A list of ten confirmed and potential GOP candidates didn't include the former four-term congressman who has spent the last two decades away from public office.

Still, Roemer says he's pushing ahead with his efforts to change the federal government. "The real issue is prosperity. I think what Americans want is to compete and win again," Roemer said while decrying the state of the American workforce. His campaign is largely based on the belief that there's too much money involved in politics thus corrupting government. He pointed to a recent New York City fundraiser for President Obama attended by various financial interests. "These are the guys that put us into this dump," Roemer said with disdain.

He offers a three point proposal for fixing the ills he finds so troubling. The first is the elimination of all federal regulations imposed on small businesses over the past three years. Roemer claims this will free up $100 billion for new investments.

Step two is to create a small committee to look at trade practices especially with China and Japan. Roemer says the United States has been suckered into imbalanced trade partnerships. "They talk fair trade, they talk free trade, it doesn't exist."

Roemer's third point is to make the country energy independent by the end of the decade. He proposes a tariff on Middle Eastern oil imports with the revenues raised from the taxes going to pay off the national debt.