INDReporter

Roemer launches '12 bid

by Walter Pierce

His campaign slogan, "Free to Lead," underscores his long-standing pledge not to accept campaign contributions larger than $100, a position he claims will inoculate him from the corrupting influence of money in modern American politics.

Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer, a newly minted New Hampshire resident, has made it official: He wants to be the next president of the United States.

The 67-year-old Democrat-turned-Republican made the announcement Thursday in the Granite State. Roemer has gone so far as to lease an apartment in Manchester, NH, so he can court voters full-time. New Hampshire is the second primary state for Republicans and turf where moderate candidates tend to do better, unlike Iowa where evangelical voters are abundant.

Roemer is casting himself as an outsider candidate. His campaign slogan, "Free to Lead," underscores his long-standing pledge not to accept campaign contributions larger than $100, a position he claims will inoculate him from the corrupting influence of money in modern American politics.

So far there's been very little handicapping of the one-term governor and three-term congressman's chances of moving up into the firmament of contenders, probably because few pundits see his campaign of having much chance.

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