Tag: Cain

Tonight, eight Republican presidential candidates square off again for two hours of highly structured questions and answers.  This time, the debate takes place on the campus of Oakland University and will be televised by CNBC.  

What to expect?

At a correspondents breakfast this morning, debate moderators Maria Bartiromo and John Harwood forecast that the debate would center primarily around jobs and the economy.  The Michigan setting lends itself to that discussion, since the Enchanted Mitten is home to a reawakening automobile industry and a burgeoning renaissance of its own, courtesy of a Republican governor and Republican-controlled legislature.

Still, we won't escape more questions on the Herman Cain sexual harassment allegations.  Should this be a topic during this precious time?  Good question, but here's why I think these questions will get asked:

1.  This is television, it's about viewers and ratings.  The prurient element is a big ratings-getter.

2.  It's the topic of the day, especially with Cain's press conference yesterday.

3.  The moderators will want to see whether the other seven will rise to the occasion (sorry about that) and try to take advantage of Cain's misfortune.

4.  Voters are certainly interested in whether a candidate can handle a crisis, especially since Obama has demonstrated he cannot.  These unconfirmed allegations may not be worthy of much, it's hard to say, but this is a situation where a nonsubstantive issue bumps up against the need to discern character, composure, and integrity.

Okay, first we had the 9-9-9 plan, then we had 9-9-9 with exemptions, and now we have 9-0-9 for the poor. I have had many conservatives telling me this is a good plan, but the introduction of a national sales tax alone was a deal breaker for me. Let alone the fact that the plan seems to change every few days.

Recently none other that Pete Hoekstra went on the record endorsing the 9-9-9 plan when the bandwagon started to roll. He said on Twitter:

I indicated support for Cain 9 9 9 plan as interim step in tax system overhaul. Paul Ryan and Art Laffer express support as well!

Well, it turns out that Paul Ryan has never supported the plan after all.  Other conservatives have lambasted the plan including Hoekstra supporter Michelle Bachmann who blasted the idea.  Hey, as a former lawyer for the IRS she knows a thing or two about taxes.  So here is the question, does Pete Hoekstra still support Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan? And if the answer is yes, which one does he support?