Chicken Barry: Obama Avoids 'Occupiers' While in NC

What are you so afraid of, Mr. President?

President Obama has taken nearly every opportunity lately to express support for the “Occupy Wall Street” protesters, but he failed to meet with some of the movement’s activists when he had the chance on his Southern bus trip.

A group of “Occupy” activists in Greensboro, N.C., asked for a meeting with the president, who stayed overnight Monday in a local hotel. But Mr. Obama didn’t bite.

White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters traveling with the president that the White House communications staff had no contact with the “Occupy Greensboro” movement. Apparently, that left some of the activists frustrated.

“About 50 people protested as Obama’s motorcade made it’s way to the Proximity Hotel,” Ben Lassiter, a member of Occupy Greensboro, wrote on the group’s Facebook page. “As he passed the chant was, ‘Hey Obama, I’m no fool, I know you’re a corporate tool.’”

Meanwhile, the folks from Wall Street, now Public Enemy Number One thanks to Obama's divisive rhetoric, have had enough.

The execs asked the lawmakers: “What are you doing? Do you even understand some of the things that they’ve called for?” said another lobbyist with financial services clients who is a former Democratic Senate aide.

Democrats’ friends on Wall Street have a message for them: you can’t have it both ways.

President Barack Obama and other top Democrats are parroting the anti-corporate rhetoric running through the Occupy Wall Street protests, trying to tap into the movement’s energy but keep the protesters at arms’ length.

But many bankers aren’t buying the distinction. And some financial services lobbyists and industry insiders say the liberal line will make swing givers think twice before opening their checkbooks this year.

“Most Wall Street guys, they feel like they’re going to be burned in effigy,” said Anthony Scaramucci, managing partner of SkyBridge Capital, who gave to Obama in 2008 but is now fundraising for Mitt Romney. Some moderate donors, who have given to both parties, “fled from Obama in his support of the Wall Street protests,” he said.

But remember, they're just like tea partiers. Obama says so himself.