Al Gore backs Occupy Wall Street protests

Former Vice President Al Gore threw his support behind the Occupy Wall Street protests Wednesday night, arguing that the country’s elected officials have failed the public on everything “from the economy to the climate crisis.”

Gore, a vocal advocate of policies to address climate change, called the protests — which have spread around the country — a “true grassroots movement.”

“From the economy to the climate crisis, our leaders have pursued solutions that are not solving our problems; instead they propose policies that accomplish little,” Gore wrote on his blog Wednesday night.

“With democracy in crisis, a true grassroots movement pointing out the flaws in our system is the first step in the right direction. Count me among those supporting and cheering on the Occupy Wall Street movement.”

Gore said a Sunday editorial in The New York Times “hit the nail on the head,” noting that he has read about the protests “with both interest and admiration.”

“The message — and the solutions — should be obvious to anyone who has been paying attention since the economy went into a recession that continues to sock the middle class while the rich have recovered and prospered,” the Times editorial said. “The problem is that no one in Washington has been listening.”

The editorial responded in part to criticism that the message of the protests is unclear.

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