Al Gore Says He‘s ’Cheering on the Occupy Wall Street Movement’

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is joining the growing chorus of Democrats who are throwing their weight behind the Occupy Wall Street movement. In fact, he's so enthusiastic about the protests that he claims he's "cheering" the revolutionists on.

On his "journal," he explained that he's been watching and reading about the protests "with both interest and admiration." Praising a New York Times editorial that was published this past Sunday, Gore wrote the following:

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. 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.

A portion of the Times editorial, which he said "hit the nail on the head," reads:

“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 problem is that no one in Washington has been listening. [...]

On one level, the protesters, most of them young, are giving voice to a generation of lost opportunity.”

But Gore went above and beyond simply "cheering" for the young protesters. He concluded his piece by posting a link, encouraging readers to "support" the movement. Upon clicking on it, readers are taken to a donation page for the "NYC General Assembly" for Occupy Wall Street. It is here that readers can give money to help prop up the protest movement.

The Huffington Post's Hayley Miller reminds us that Gore appeared on Keith Olbermann's show, "Countdown," where he stressed the need for an American uprising. Here's the bizarre quote:

"We need to have an American spring -- you know, the Arab spring. The non-violent part of it isn’t finished yet, but we need to have an American spring, a kind of an American non-violent change where people on the grassroots get involved again. Not the, you know, not in the Tea Party-style."

Watch video of these statements, below:

(H/T: Huffington Post)