Giuliani: Obama owns Occupy Wall Street movement
(CNN) - President Barack Obama is responsible for the start of the Occupy Wall Street movement, according to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
"It would not have happened but for his class warfare," Giuliani said in Washington on Friday. "And remember, as it gets worse and worse - because it's going to get worse and worse - where it came from: Barack Obama."
Giuliani's remarks came while speaking at a summit sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a conservative organization with deep ties to the tea party movement.
Presidential front-runners Mitt Romney and Herman Cain also spoke at the event.
Giuliani said Obama's economic philosophy–which the former mayor describes as the need to "redistribute the wealth"–closely lines up with the message of the growing movement.
The movement started out as a group of demonstrators on Wall Street upset over unemployment and the economy. It has since expanded to cover a variety of issues, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Similar protests have popped up in cities around the world, some of which have been marked by violence.
One faction of the movement even proposed occupying the offices of presidential candidates in Iowa ahead of the caucuses and primary season, which starts January 3.
"I believe this will be the millstone around Barack Obama's neck that will take his presidency down," Giuliani said.
Obama commented on the booming movement in October, saying it "expresses the frustrations that the American people feel."
"People are frustrated and the protesters are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works," Obama said while taking questions at a news conference about his jobs plan.
The president highlighted the financial regulation bill passed in 2010 as an example of government working to ensure a fair, rule-abiding financial sector.
"The American people understand that not everybody's been following the rules," he said. "That Wall Street is an example of that."
According to an ORC International Poll released Thursday, more Americans say they support the movement as it progresses. Thirty-six percent say they agree with the overall positions of Occupy Wall Street, up from 27% when the survey was last conducted in early October.
Giuliani flirted with a presidential bid for much of the year but announced his decision against running last month.
- CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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Giuliani's is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Of course these pathetic fools are protesting. They elected the "chosen one" as president who was going to make everything all better and guess what, things got even worse. So we already know these guys are not to bright because they got Obama elected in the first place. Now they think that if they just go a tantrum in a public place that they will get their way. Simple solutions for simple minds.
He talks as if OWS is a bad thing. Americans have a proud history of protesting what they believe is wrongdoing by those in authority, whether others believe it is misguided or not. But, to claim that Obama started 'class warfare' is simply another attempt at propaganda. There has been class warfare for much, much longer than that... just read a history book sometime. It is sad that so many weak minds are easily influenced by all this political back and forth between the parties in power – and power is what it is all about, make no mistake.
He's forgetting that Wall Street was directly inspired by the success of the Arab Spring, not President Obama. He needs to get his talking points sorted out before he talks.
Why is anyone even listening to this guy-he is so irrelevant like so many of those old Republican warhorses that have preached the same old fear and anger and with no real new policies that can actually help the country.
Whatever the “1%” do not like – it is the Presidents fault! This should tell you for sure who works for you! The GOP/TP are the ones that bring the country down is obvious and in many funny ways they even admit it (Corporations are people etc.)!
The “99%” have for a long time felt that the “1%” have an unfair advantage and hurt the rest. The OWS movement just picks up on what we all feel: Something has to be done...Not everyone can go and protest but, you can go and...
...VOTE!!! Throw the obstructionist GOP/TP out of CONGRESS AND SENATE!
Obama owns osw. Wall Street owns him. Dance little sheep. Dance.
Am I in Bizarro world? Does this idiot really believe it is OBAMA behind the class warfare the elites have been waging on the rest of the world? Who's winning, Rudy? Your millionaires!
It's always class warfare when one class forgets their place.
One of the most stupid people in the U.S. A. has spoken ,and that woluld be Rudy. Of course it is Obamas fault, everything is always Obamas fault. The only thing Rudy ever did that was half way correct is after 911, other than that he is just another blathering idiot from the Republican party. He is a full bllown idiot. there are not enough adjectives to describe Rudy and any Republican on the face of this earth. Remember folks, if the Republicans retain the house and regain the Presidency, kiss your middle class goodby forever. I certainly hope that the majority of real Americans are not ignorant enough to vote Republican. As for Rudy, chase some more skirts, if you need help in that area, contact some of the biggest skirt chasers in the Republican Party, Cain and Gingrich.
Well good – why shouldn't the president represent at least 99% instead of the GOP who look out for the 1%
Who cares what this washed-up has-been Rethuglican troll thinks?
@Ron: Rudy Giuliani was the mayor of new york, not the gov. @GI Joe "And it will get worse....": The problem with OWS is they have no true agenda and are now violent in most cities they are protesting in. And then there are morons like you that want to push it to the next level. At least the Tea Party movement is peacefull and organized. By the way, remeber us conservative are hanging on to our guns and our religon. If there was a showdown today, there would be no contest.
Yet another failure president wannabe heard from. Why do these groups only like listen to one point of view?
Sorry to burst you Liberal Bubble folk's....
Obama has taken in more Wall Street Contributions than any one....Google it
Obama appointed many of the very Wall Street financial executives who lead prior to and during the collapse...Google it
Bush tried to warn of the mortgage mess and Dodd and Frank said all was well....Google it
Unless you don't want facts to get in the way of your propaganda.
Rudy lies like the good GOBP deathcult follower he is. OWS is critical of BOTH parties for allowing themselves to be bought and owned by the 1%ers.
This Is way this guy didn't win to be President Is because he a IDIOT. President Obama didn't have any thing to do with this Occupy. It been because you Republican for getting us In this mess and Not doing anything to even try to get us out of It. All you Republican know how to say Is NO. What you need to do Is go back to the hole you where In. When Is It going to stop that you Republican Quit trying to Blame President Obama for the Mess you got Us In the First Place. When are you Republican going to man -up and take the Blame for what you did and try to help the President to get America back on track. He can't do It by himself with you Republican saying NO ALL THE TIME. This Has Got to be the Worse Congress America ever had. And John Boehner Has to be the Worse speaker of the House America ever had.
Talk about foretelling the future...
"Corporations have been enthroned .... An era of corruption in high places will follow and the money power will endeavor to prolong its reign by working on the prejudices of the people... until wealth is aggregated in a few hands ... and the Republic is destroyed." ~ Abraham Lincoln
And as Walter Cronkite always said at the end of his newscast...."and that's the way it is, folks."
As usual, Giuliani is flapping his jaws, full of hot air. He should just save his money on a presidential run.