Peter King: Occupy Wall Street Protesters Are 'Losers'
GOP Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) had some choice words on Wednesday for Occupy Wall Street protesters.
In an interview on Bloomberg Television's "In The Loop," the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee was asked if he had an obligation to hear out what the protesters are saying. He slammed the cause, pointing to crimes taking place within Occupy encampments.
"First of all, you try to listen to them and they make almost no sense," King said. "These are people who were living in dirt, these were people who were involved with drugs, there was violence, there was rape. You're talking about a small number of people -- you could probably get more people in a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday than you've got in Zuccotti Park."
King went on to criticize the direction of the movement, questioning the methods employed by the protesters.
"I mean, what is their position?" King asked. "They're mad that other people are making money? They're mad that there are no jobs in this country? Or not enough jobs? All of us believe that. We're trying to find a way to do it. You don't do it by living in dirt. You don't do it by carrying out rapes. You don't do it by carrying out anti-American slogans."
When asked what he meant by the "make almost no sense" comment, the congressman made a medical parallel.
"They say they're frustrated -- life is full of frustrations, you know," he said. "They should go see a psychiatrist if they're that frustrated. Let's talk about concrete proposals."
King then reeled off a litany of items -- tax reform, job growth, government regulations, and expansion of trade -- before adding that the protesters are proposing nothing.
"They're angry people who are losers who are on the outside and screaming," he said. "If they want to get involved, go into the system, get involved with concrete proposals. How do they achieve anything by living in dirt for two months? You can't say this is only a few people."
This is not the first time that King has come out strongly against Occupy Wall Street. Back in October, he appeared on the Laura Ingraham radio show and delivered some more harsh comments toward protesters.
"The fact is these people are anarchists," the congressman said. They have no idea what they're doing out there," King said. "They have no sense of purpose other than a basically anti-American tone and anti-capitalist. It's a ragtag mob basically."
Other Republicans, including GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain, have taken direct jabs at protesters' actions. Back in early October, Cain implied that those participating in the movement are un-American individuals who are against capitalism.
On the flip side, some GOP candidates have expressed supportive sentiments toward the 99 percent's struggles.
Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman took a sympathetic tone toward the movement while on the trail in New Hampshire last month. "I have to say, much of what they are talking about, some of what they are talking about I think many Americans would be in some harmony with -- and that is trillions of trillions of dollars that have been spent, they have disappeared and we have seen nothing for it," said the former Utah governor.
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Posted: 11/16/11 08:06 PM ET