Roseanne Barr to run for US president

Roseanne Barr has announced that she will run for US presidency in 2012.

The comic told Tonight Show host Jay Leno on Thursday that she is "totally serious" about challenging Barack Obama for the nation's highest office, adding: "I want to be part of the debates, because I want to represent the tax payer. In fact, I'm choosing the tax payers as my vice president."

Barr revealed that she will represent her own "Green Tea Party" as opposed to running as a Democratic or Republican candidate because she considers politicians from both major parties to be "a bunch of criminals".

When Leno asked if Roseanne would consider debating rumoured presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, the comic quipped: "That's kinda what got me to thinking that I too should run for president, if she can."

Palin has so far remained coy on whether she will actually launch a presidential bid, but the former Alaska governor did admit in May that she still has "fire in her belly" for politics.

Roseanne recently revealed that she'd love to join the cast of Dancing with the Stars.

Her reality series Roseanne's Nuts airs Wednesday at 9/8c on Lifetime.

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Watch Roseanne Barr announce her presidential bid below: