Wary Democrats keep distance from Occupy protests

The arrests and occasional violence marking Occupy Wall Street's two month anniversary underscore Democrats' strategy of keeping their distance from the protest movement.

Democrats and Occupy Wall Street share similar concerns about economic inequality. But while the Republican Party and the tea party were a natural political pairing, Democrats have been reluctant to cast their lot with Occupy agitators who confront police and squat in public encampments.

Thursday's mass demonstrations in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere were a stark reminder of why the Occupy movement remains a minefield for Democrats, even as polling continues to show public support for its message.

Dozens were arrested as protesters attempted to block traders from entering the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan. Police said four officers were injured when demonstrators threw liquid—possibly vinegar—in their faces.

The arrests came two days after hundreds were forcibly evicted from New York's Zuccoti Park, where the Occupy Wall Street movement was launched Sept. 17 when activists pitched tents to protest policies they said benefit the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.

Police in Los Angeles declared an unlawful assembly at an Occupy rally in the city's financial district. In Portland, Ore., more than a dozen protesters were led away in handcuffs after attempting to barricade an entrance to the Steel Bridge, an important link for mass transit in the region.

For their part, many Occupy protesters have been openly contemptuous of Democrats, including President Barack Obama, arguing that both political parties are equally beholden to corporate interests and responsible for enacting policies that have hurt the middle class.

But even without an explicit alliance between the two groups, many Democrats believe the Occupy movement's focus on income inequality could help the party reinvigorate its base. ...

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