In an appearance on The Colbert Report Thursday evening, Republican Presidential hopeful and underdog Buddy Roemer defended his position of taking no money from special interests and PACs, and accepting no donations larger than $100. Roemer expressed confidence that he can still raise the funds necessary to compete.
“All I need is a million Americans,” Roemer said. “If I can get a million Americans to stand up for the right thing against the big checks, we win. One million.”
Colbert asked whether, given the Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case confirming that financial contributions are a form of speech, Roemer’s refusal to let donors give more than $100 was actually a restriction of Americans’ First Amendment rights.
“Money is speech. I have no problem with that; the Constitution protects that,” Roemer said. (RELATED: Long-shot Buddy Roemer is out to win the White House)
“But I have the God-given and constitutional right as to who I listen to. I will not listen to the special interests with the big checks. I will listen to Americans with $100 and five dollars and zero dollars who have an idea about how to build a better country. I will not put up with the special interests. I call them hogs in the trough, and we’re gonna kick them out.”