Ed Rendell to ‘Occupy Wall Street’: ‘You’ve made your point,’ it’s time to go home

Nurse Margret Sweeney, center, and others join Occupy Wall Street during a march in Lower Manhattan Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 in New York. Unions gave a high-profile boost to the long-running protest against Wall Street and economic inequality Wednesday, with their members joining thousands of protesters in a lower Manhattan march. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, has a message for “Occupy Wall Street” protesters: “you’ve made your point, you’ve gotten publicity for the things you’ve wanted to say” and now it’s time to “go home” and “clean up.”

Rendell made the points during an appearance on conservative talker Laura Ingraham’s radio show on Monday. Rendell called on AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka to encourage participants to pack it in. (RELATED: ‘The voice of the people’ censored Rep. John Lewis at ‘Occupy Atlanta,’ says spox)

“The Rich Trumkas and all those people should be talking to the protesters and saying, ‘Look, you made your point, you don’t think by sitting here you’re going to bring about change in law by just sitting here,’” Rendell said. “No legislative body is going to be blackmailed.”

Rendell said it makes no sense for the protesters to continue “occupying” public spaces, as they won’t be able to create real change without a political strategy.

“I mean the guys in Philadelphia said they’re going to be here all winter,” Rendell said. “Well that’s silly. You’ve made your point, you’ve gotten about all the publicity you’re going to get. Now get on with your lives and if you really care about this stuff, organize at the ballot box.”

Rendell also compared the “Occupy Wall Street” protesters to the tea party movement, but drew a pointed distinction.

“We can yell and scream about the tea party, but the tea party folks understood how to make change in 2010,” Rendell said. “They got out and voted.”

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